title: Laparoscopic treatment of uterine myomas in women of reproductive age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the indications, safety and feasibility of laparoscopic myomectomies performed during the last 10 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  The studied material consisted of 187 typically performed laparoscopies, mostly due to uterine myomas. All the patients underwent an ultrasound examination at the time of admission and those with the maximum of 3 tumors, where the largest tumors were less than 10cm in diameter, were qualified for endoscopic surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 187 women, 39 patients had laparoscopy performed twice, with a 3-4 months interval for GnRH analogues treatment. Among 164 operative laparoscopies myomas were enucleated in 132 of the women (80.5%). In the case of 18 patients (9.6%) there was a need for laparoconversion resulting from the difficulties with enucleation, adhesions, and the size or localization of the tumor. There were also 62 cases of diagnostic laparoscopy, where myomas were either too large or too small to be enucleated. On analyzing the number and size of the tumors it occurred that a single myoma was the most frequent finding, while more than half of all the enucleated uterine tumors found during diagnostic and operative endoscopies were up to 2cm in diameter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic myomectomy is a safe and reliable surgical alternative for women suffering from symptomatic myomas and is a method of choice in young patients of reproductive age. Beside skillful surgical techniques, a proper qualification for the operation is essential for the desired outcome.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Pawel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kaminski
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gajewska
authors.forename: Miroslaw
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wielgos
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sodowski
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Szymusik
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bartkowiak
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marianowski
authors.forename: Bartosz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Czuba
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*