Uterine rupture during pregnancy after laparoscopic myomectomy

A 31 year old patient presenting with primary infertility underwent an operative laparoscopy for the treatment of bilateral hydrosalpinges, during which a myomectomy was also performed. The uterus was repaired using interrupted sutures. At follow-up laparoscopy seven weeks later, a uterine fistula was diagnosed and was oversewn using a single 'figure of eight' suture. One year later the patient became pregnant through in-vitro fertilization. At 34 weeks gestation, she required an emergency laparotomy for acute abdominal pain and the presence of fetal bradycardia. The operative findings revealed a uterine rupture at the site of the previous myomectomy scar. This was then enlarged with a scalpel and a live baby was delivered. The uterus was repaired in two layers. The postoperative period for both mother and baby was satisfactory. This complication raises the problem of the quality of uterine repair following laparoscopic myomectomy, together with the question of how to prevent this type of life-threatening situation.