Feasibility and safety of performing cesarean myomectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Purpose To examine the feasibility and safety of performing cesarean myomectomy on pregnant women with myomas compared to cesarean section only. Methods We retrieved English articles in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Medline and EMBASE databases from inception to April 2020. Observational studies including the comparison of patients who underwent cesarean myomectomy and cesarean section, as well as those reporting perioperative outcomes were selected. Data extraction was conducted using RevMan 5.3. Results Twenty-three studies comprising 8,016 women were included in the meta-analysis. Of these, 3,955 underwent cesarean myomectomy, while 4,061 underwent cesarean section only. Cesarean myomectomies were associated with a greater decline in mean hemoglobin (mean difference [MD] 0.20 g/dL, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.06, 0.35, p = .007), greater incidence of hemorrhage (odds ratio [OR] 1.46, 95% CI 1.06, 2.01, p = .02), greater volume of blood loss (MD 45.54 ml, 95% CI 2.68, 88.41, p = .04), higher transfusion rate (OR 1.47 95%CI 1.09, 1.99, p = .01), longer operation duration (MD 10.40 min, 95% CI 8.54, 12.25, p < .001), or longer postoperative hospitalization (MD 0.18 d, 95% CI 0.12, 0.24, p < .001), compared to those who underwent cesarean section only. There was no statistical difference in postoperative fever rates (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.77, 1.62). Conclusion Hemorrhage represents a risk factor which should not be overlooked by surgeons performing cesarean myomectomy. Intramural myomas, myomas ≥7 cm in size, and multiple myomas are associated with more intraoperative hemorrhage and prolonged operation duration. We suggest that, with appropriate hemostatic techniques and when performed by experienced surgeons, cesarean myomectomy may be safe and feasible in selected patients with myomas, regardless of size and locations, except if they are located at the cornual or close to large vessels, and in the absence of uterine atony during surgery.