Misoprostol for open myomectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised control trials

Background Excessive blood loss is a significant risk of myomectomy with the potential need for hysterectomy. Objective To study the effectiveness of preoperative misoprostol compared with placebo at open myomectomy on intra- and postoperative outcomes. Search strategy PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, MEDLINE and EMBASE. Selection criteria Randomised control studies of women undergoing open myomectomy for symptomatic fibroids who were given either misoprostol or placebo preoperatively. Data collection and analysis The revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials was used to assess the risk of bias. Primary outcomes were blood loss, drop in haemoglobin and need for blood transfusion. Secondary outcomes were operative time, postoperative pyrexia and length of postoperative stay. Pooled effect sizes with corresponding 95% CI were calculated using random effects models. Data were analysed using two statistical models for statistical reliability. Results Eight studies were included with a total of 385 patients, of which 192 received misoprostol. Preoperative misoprostol was significantly associated with lower blood loss by -170.32 ml (95% CI -201.53 to -139.10), lower drop in haemoglobin by -0.48 g/dl (95% CI -0.65 to -0.31), reduced need for blood transfusion (odds ratio [OR] -0.48, 95% CI -0.65 to -0.31), and a reduction in operative time by -11.64 minutes (95% CI -15.73 to -7.54). There was no difference in postoperative pyrexia or length of postoperative stay. Conclusion Moderate- to high-quality studies have established that misoprostol minimises blood loss and need for blood transfusion at open myomectomy. This low-cost and readily available drug should be routinely administered prior to open myomectomy to improve clinical outcomes. Tweetable abstract Use of misoprostol at open myomectomy reduces blood loss and need for blood transfusion with no impact on postoperative pyrexia.

Automated summary

The use of misoprostol at open myomectomy has been shown to significantly reduce blood loss, decrease drop in hemoglobin, lower the need for blood transfusion, and shorten operative time, without affecting postoperative pyrexia or length of postoperative stay.