FRIDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Two minimally invasive surgical techniques offer good outcomes and better recovery than laparotomy for the treatment of uterine fibroids, according to a study in the February issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Kuo-Chang Wen, M.D., from Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan, and colleagues compared the long-term efficacy and outcomes of myomectomy in 224 women with uterine fibroids, where 79 women underwent laparotomy, 71 women underwent ultraminilaparotomy (UMLT, defined as having an incision length of less than 4 cm), and 74 women underwent laparoscopically assisted UMLT. All women had fewer than five fibroids less than 8 cm in diameter.
After a median follow-up of 52 months, the researchers found that the recurrence rates were similar in all three groups. Both UMLT approaches had better outcomes, resulting in significantly less postoperative pain and better recovery, including a shorter period of paralytic ileus, faster removal of the closed wound vacuum reservoir, and shorter hospital stay.
"The modified approaches, UMLT and laparoscopically assisted UMLT, are both safe, minimal-access options in place of laparotomy in the successful management of uterine fibroids, since they have the advantage of rapid postoperative recovery," Wen and colleagues conclude.
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