Objectives: To evaluate vaginal and laparoscopic-assisted vaginal myomectomy in order to find interest and indications of this two-way approach of myomectomy.
Patients and methods: Retrospective study of 60 patients operated of a myomectomy by vaginal or laparoscopic-assisted vaginal way between December 1999 and January 2007.
Results: Thirty-three patients (55%) profited from an exclusive vaginal myomectomy (group 1) and 27 (45%) from a laparoscopic-assisted vaginal myomectomy (group 2). The vaginal gesture in group 2 was carried out mainly because of difficult dissections of deep interstitial myomes (60%) or for the closing of hysterotomies not accessible by coelioscopic way (40%). Mean operating time, blood loss and length of hospital stay were 120 minutes, 431 ml, 3.2 days in group 1 and 180 minutes, 437 ml, 5.1 days in group 2, respectively. Laparoconversions and notable complications rates were 9% in group 1 and 15% in group 2.
Discussion and conclusion: Laparoscopic-assisted vaginal myomectomy is interesting to widen indications of laparoscopic way for myomectomy. However, considering complications and rate of laparoconversion, it is necessary to define situations against indicating this gesture. The methods of prevention of the infection also remain to be found.