Successful use of laparoscopic myomectomy to remove a giant uterine myoma: a case report

Uterine leiomyomas are the most common benign neoplasms of the female reproductive tract. Myomectomy is the preferred surgical treatment in reproductive-aged women who desire to retain their fertility. The use of a laparoscopic approach for large myomas is still controversial, although there are several compelling reasons for its use. The laparoscopic removal of giant uterine myomas is rare, and only a few cases have been published in the literature.

We report the case of a 33-year-old white woman who was referred to our clinic with progressive abdominal distension. An ultrasonic examination revealed a markedly enlarged uterus containing a 17 cm uterine myoma. Laparoscopic myomectomy was selected as the treatment option. The laparoscopy confirmed the 17 cm fundal intramural myoma. The myoma was totally enucleated and removed without disturbing her endometrial cavity. The myometrial defect was repaired with a continuous suture using the V-loc suture in two layers. The entire myoma was removed using a tissue morcellator. The total weight of the myoma removed was 2005g, and the operation lasted for 140 minutes. Her postoperative course was unremarkable.

Laparoscopic myomectomy offers many advantages compared with abdominal myomectomy. Although the use of a laparoscopic approach to treat very large myomas is controversial and technically demanding, we successfully performed a laparoscopic myomectomy in a patient with a giant myoma. This case confirms the efficiency, reliability, and safety of a minimally invasive surgical approach to treating a giant uterine myoma. Laparoscopic myomectomy can be performed by experienced surgeons regardless of the size of the myoma.