Surgical Treatments and Outcomes

Leiomyoma are common among women and are the leading cause of hysterectomy in the United States. Hysterectomy is the only definitive cure for symptomatic leiomyomas, but it is not an option for those patients still desiring future fertility. Myomectomy, performed either hysterscopically or abdominally, can ameliorate clinical symptoms but fibroids have a relatively high recurrence rate. While surgical therapy remains a mainstay in definitive treatment, it is not encountered without immediate and/or long-term risks and complications. Knowledge of these risks along with proper patient selection can greatly increase the success of surgical outcomes in patients with uterine leiomyoma.