Comparison of the Number of Spindle Cells in Peritoneal Washings between Laparoscopic Myomectomy with Morcellation and Open Myomectomy without Morcellation

Study Objective: This study evaluated peritoneal washings for the detection of spindle cells (SCs) in laparoscopic and open myomectomies. Design: Prospective, nonrandomized clinical trial. Setting: An academic tertiary referral center. Patients: Women suspected of having benign uterine myoma undergoing laparoscopic or open myomectomy from October 2016 to April 2018. Interventions: Washing of the peritoneal cavity to detect SCs was performed twice during the laparoscopic myomectomy. The first washing was after the closure of the myometrial incision and before morcellation. The second one was performed after morcellation. The procedure was also performed once during the open myomectomy, after the completion of the myo-mectomy and the closure of the incision. After a peritoneal washing with 200 mL normal saline, 30 mL liquid was collected and sent to the laboratory for SC detection. Surgical parameters such as operating time, mean change in serum hemoglobin level, complications, length of hospital stay, and readmission were compared between the 2 groups. Measurements and Main Results: A total of 150 participants were included in the analysis: 78 in the laparoscopic group and 72 in the open myomectomy group. After morcellation, the incidence of SCs was 2.6% (n = 2) and 6.9% (n = 5) in the laparoscopic and open myomectomy groups, respectively (p = .204). Conclusion: SCs were observed in both the laparoscopic and open myomectomy groups. Thus, morcellation alone could not be the cause for SC dissemination, which might also be triggered by the manipulation of myoma(s). (C) 2020 AAGL. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study evaluated the detection of spindle cells (SCs) in peritoneal washings during laparoscopic and open myomectomies. Results showed that SCs were observed in both groups, indicating that the dissemination of SCs may be related to the manipulation of myomas.