Vaginal expulsion of submucous myomas after laparoscopic-assisted uterine depletion of the myomas

Study Objective. To determine the safety and side effects that may be caused by laparoscopic-assisted uterine depletion (LAUD) of submucous myomas. Design. Retrospective chart review and follow-up (Canadian Task Force classification 11-2). Setting. University-affiliated tertiary referral center. Patients. Five hundred twenty women with symptomatic myomas warranting surgical treatment, who wished to retain their uteri. Intervention. Laparoscopic bipolar coagulation of uterine arteries and anastomotic sites of uterine arteries with ovarian arteries. Measurements and Main Results. Postoperative sonographs showed submucous myomas in 53 (10.2%) women. During follow-up for a mean of 8.6 months very few complications occurred; however, nine women (1.7%) experienced vaginal expulsion of myomas from 2 weeks to 5 months postoperatively. Four of them were readmitted within 43 days with high fever and fetid discharge, and cervical cultures revealed heavy growth of Escherichia coli in three. Vaginal myomectomy was performed in six patients, and one woman passed the myoma spontaneously. Histopathologic studies of these nine specimens showed that two had infarction, three had coagulative necrosis, and four had degeneration. After treatment, all nine women had normal menstruation and their symptoms resolved during follow-up of at least 3 months. Conclusion. In our experience LAUD led to satisfactory symptomatic improvement and reduction in myoma volume and few complications. If vaginal expulsion of submucous fibroids can be viewed as a side effect, we should pay close attention to women with submucous myomas, especially within 2 months of LAUD. Otherwise, more dangerous complications could occur.