Surgical outcomes for robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy compared to abdominal myomectomy

A retrospective cohort of 100 robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy (RM) patients and 48 laparotomic myomectomy (LM) patients at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI, USA was examined to compare surgical outcomes of RM with LM. Details of age, race, body mass index (BMI), procedure duration, estimated blood loss (EBL), length of stay (LOS), diameter of the largest leiomyoma and number of leiomyomata removed were collected. Procedure duration was significantly longer among RM patients (median: 194 min vs. 127.5 min; Wilcoxon rank sum (WRS) P < 0.001). EBL and LOS were both significantly greater among LM patients (EBL medians 200 vs. 100 ml, WRS P < 0.001; LOS medians 3 vs. 1, WRS P < 0.01). Among the RM patients, 39.4% had a LOS of at least 2 days compared to 89.4% among LM patients. Leiomyomata characteristics did not affect the observed associations. RM could enable widespread use of a minimally invasive approach for leiomyoma treatment. © 2010 Springer-Verlag London Ltd.