Postoperative outcomes after robotic versus abdominal myomectomy

Area of Science:

• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Gynecologic Oncology
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy (RALM) and abdominal myomectomy (AM) are surgical options for uterine fibroids.
• Limited data exist on comparative postoperative outcomes between RALM and AM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare surgical outcomes, quality of life, and residual fibroid burden after RALM versus AM.
• To evaluate patient recovery and satisfaction following each surgical approach.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study of consecutive patients undergoing RALM (n=16) and AM (n=23) for uterine fibroids (<20 weeks size).
• Surgical outcomes were extracted from medical records.
• Quality of life and residual fibroid volume were assessed via telephone interviews at 6 weeks and ultrasonography at 12 weeks post-surgery.

Main Results:

• RALM involved longer operative times (261.1 min vs 124.8 min) and lower operative efficiency.
• RALM patients experienced shorter hospital stays (1.5 days vs 2.7 days) and faster return to work (85.7% vs 45.0%).
• Residual fibroid volume was significantly greater in the RALM group (17.3 cm³ vs 3.4 cm³).

Conclusions:

• Both RALM and AM are equally effective in improving patient symptoms and overall satisfaction.
• RALM facilitates a quicker patient recovery with shorter hospital stays and faster return to work.
• A significantly larger residual fibroid burden is observed 12 weeks after RALM compared to AM.