Ultrasonographic Features of Uterine Scar After Laparoscopic and Laparoscopy-Assisted Minilaparotomy Myomectomy: A Comparative Study Publisher Pubmed



Asgari Z¹ ; Salehi F¹ ; Hoseini R¹ ; Abedi M² ; Montazeri A²
Source: Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology Published:2020

Abstract

Study Objective: To evaluate uterine scar features after laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) compared with myomectomy performed by laparoscopy initially and then completed with minilaparotomy (LAM). Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: An academic center for advanced endoscopic gynecologic surgery. Patients: Sixty-nine symptomatic women who underwent myomectomy between July and December 2018. Intervention: Patients underwent LM or LAM and 3-month follow-up ultrasonography. Measurements and Main Results: Forty-four patients underwent LM and 25 underwent LAM. Demographic data, intraoperative parameters, and postoperative outcomes were collected. Two-dimensional color Doppler ultrasound was done at a 3-month follow-up to evaluate myomectomy scar features, myometrial thickness, and the presence of and vascularity of a heterogeneous mass. These features were compared with those of the intact myometrium on the opposite wall of the patient's uterus. The 2 groups had similar demographic characteristics, and there were no significant between-group differences in the number, maximum diameter, type, or location of myomas. The mean myometrial thickness at the scar site was 18.9 ± 3.22 mm in the LM group and 19.7 ± 3.50 mm in the LAM group, with no significant difference between the 2 groups. There was no meaningful difference in vascularity between the scar and normal myometrium. Heterogeneous masses were detected in 23% of patients in the LM group and in 24% of those in the LAM group. Other than mean operative time (207 minutes for LM vs 150 minutes for LAM; p <.001) and mean postoperative reduction in hemoglobin (1.77 mg/dL for LM vs 2.35 mg/dL for LAM; p =.023), there were no other statistical differences between the 2 groups. One patient in the LM group experienced a bowel injury resulting from morcellation. Conclusion: There were no differences in myometrial scar features after LM compared with after LAM, implying effective suturing via both approaches. © 2019 AAGL