» Articles » PMID: 37139194

Myomectomy in Infertile Women: More Harm Than Good?

Abstract

Adhesion formation following gynecological surgery remains a challenge. The adoption of minimally invasive surgical approaches, such as conventional or robotic-assisted laparoscopy combined with meticulous microsurgical principles and the application of adhesion-reducing substances, is able to reduce the risk of adhesion formation but do not eliminate it entirely. Myomectomy is the most adhesiogenic surgical procedure and postoperative adhesions can have a significant impact on the ability to conceive. Therefore, when surgery is performed as infertility treatment, attention should be paid to whether the benefits outweigh the risks. Among several factors, the size and the location of fibroids are the most accountable factors in terms of adhesion development and post surgical infertility; therefore, the search for effective strategies against adhesion formation in this setting is of paramount importance. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the incidence and factors of adhesion formation and the best preventive measures current available.

Citing Articles

Transvaginal radiofrequency ablation: a therapeutic option for managing symptomatic uterine fibroids in women with reproductive desires.

Marin Martinez M, Cruz-Melguizo S, Vaquero Arguello G, Engels Calvo V, De la Cruz Conty M, Perez Medina T F S Rep. 2024; 5(3):320-327.

PMID: 39381652 PMC: 11456661. DOI: 10.1016/j.xfre.2024.07.001.


The role of VEGF and TGF-β blood levels for fibroid shrinkage, menorrhagia score, and quality of life improvement after uterine artery embolization for uterine fibroids: a study protocol.

Aimagambetova G, Bapayeva G, Ukybassova T, Zemlyanskiy V, Gusmanov A, Terzic M Front Med (Lausanne). 2024; 11:1382822.

PMID: 39165371 PMC: 11334076. DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1382822.


Long-term obstetric, perinatal, and surgical complications in singleton pregnancies following previous cesarean myomectomy: a retrospective multicentric study.

Guler O, Hatirnaz S, Sparic R, Basbug A, Erol O, Kalkan U Front Surg. 2024; 11:1430439.

PMID: 39149134 PMC: 11324572. DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2024.1430439.


A comparative retrospective analysis on robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery compared to conventional laparoscopy in case of myomectomy: experience in a third-level hospital of Southern Italy.

Della Corte L, DAngelo G, Ascione M, Granata M, Giampaolino P, Di Spiezio Sardo A Updates Surg. 2024; 76(6):2371-2378.

PMID: 38689199 PMC: 11541250. DOI: 10.1007/s13304-024-01863-x.


Laparoscopic continuous seromuscular circumsuture for myomectomy: a real-world, retrospective, East-Asian cohort study.

Shi X, Wu H, Liu J, Zhu J, Zhang L BMJ Open. 2024; 14(3):e081550.

PMID: 38458810 PMC: 10928732. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081550.


References
1.
Lethaby A, Puscasiu L, Vollenhoven B . Preoperative medical therapy before surgery for uterine fibroids. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017; 11:CD000547. PMC: 6486044. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000547.pub2. View

2.
Mettler L, Schollmeyer T, Tinelli A, Malvasi A, Alkatout I . Complications of Uterine Fibroids and Their Management, Surgical Management of Fibroids, Laparoscopy and Hysteroscopy versus Hysterectomy, Haemorrhage, Adhesions, and Complications. Obstet Gynecol Int. 2012; 2012:791248. PMC: 3348525. DOI: 10.1155/2012/791248. View

3.
Tamay A, Guvenal T, Cilaker Micili S, Yildirim Y, Ozogul C, Koyuncu F . Evaluation of the effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-ant) and agonist (GnRH-a) in the prevention of postoperative adhesion formation in a rat model with immunohistochemical analysis. Fertil Steril. 2011; 96(5):1230-3. DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.09.001. View

4.
Coddington C, Grow D, Ahmed M, Toner J, Cook E, Diamond M . Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist pretreatment did not decrease postoperative adhesion formation after abdominal myomectomy in a randomized control trial. Fertil Steril. 2008; 91(5):1909-13. DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.02.128. View

5.
Chittawar P, Franik S, Pouwer A, Farquhar C . Minimally invasive surgical techniques versus open myomectomy for uterine fibroids. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014; (10):CD004638. PMC: 10961732. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004638.pub3. View