Timing for a Laparoscopic Myomectomy During the Menstrual Cycle

Objective: To determine whether the different phases (follicular phase, luteal phase, or menstruation) of the menstrual cycle could affect the operative blood loss during a laparoscopic myomectomy. Design: Retrospective comparative study. Setting: University hospital. Patients: A total of 220 patients who underwent a laparoscopic myomectomy were classified into the follicular phase (n = 90), luteal phase (n = 93), and menstruation group (n = 37) on the basis of the adjusted day of the menstrual cycle. Interventions: Laparoscopic myomectomy. Measurements and Main Results: The operative blood loss during the laparoscopic myomectomy was measured. The baseline demographics (age, body mass index, and myoma characteristics) were similar among the 3 groups. No significant differences were observed in the operative blood loss (p = .231) and in the hemoglobin change (p = .526) among the 3 groups. In addition, no other statistical differences were found in terms of the other operative results, including the operative time, the length of hospital stay, and operative complications. Conclusions: The different phase of the menstrual cycle had no effect in the operative blood loss during laparoscopic myomectomy. Therefore, the menstrual cycle is not an important factor to determine the optimal timing of a laparoscopic myomectomy. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of AAGL.