Comparison of clinical outcomes and spectral Doppler indices of uterine and ovarian stromal arteries in women undergoing myomectomy with or without hypogastric arterial ligation

Objective: To compare clinical outcomes and hemodynamic alterations of uterine and ovarian stromal arteries between patients with symptomatic myomas undergoing myomectomy preceded by arterial ligation and those undergoing myomectomy alone. Methods: In this prospective, non-randomized comparative study, myomectomy was performed on 69 women with symptomatic myomas. Myomectomy alone was performed in 31 patients (Group I) and myomectomy with concomitant bilateral hypogastric arterial ligation was performed in 38 patients (Group II). In both groups, surgical results and clinical outcomes were evaluated by peripheral hemoglobin levels, a pictorial blood-loss assessment chart, and visual analog scales. Spectral Doppler indices of uterine and ovarian stromal arteries, including peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, pulsatility index and resistance index were performed preoperatively, and 1 day and 1 or more months postoperatively. Results: Twenty-two patients in Group I and 31 patients in Group II received regular follow-up examinations for a mean follow-up period of 10.1 months. Menstrual flow, dysmenorrhea and hemoglobin levels improved significantly after surgery in both groups. Blood loss during surgery was less in Group II than it was in Group I (T = 0.02). Doppler indices of uterine and ovarian stromal arteries from preoperation to mean follow-up point were not significantly different between the groups, except for a significantly lower uterine artery pulsatility index in Group II (P = 0.01). Conclusions: Myomectomy with hypogastric arterial ligation for symptomatic myomas is as efficient as is myomectomy alone and reduces blood loss during surgery. Serial Doppler studies showed that hypogastric ligation does not block uterine and ovarian perfusion, and even reduces the impedance of the uterine arteries. The long-term recurrence rate after myomectomy with hypogastric arterial ligation remains to be determined.