AN ANALYSIS OF FLUID LOSS DURING TRANSCERVICAL RESECTION OF SUBMUCOUSMYOMAS

Objective: To determine the contribution of several variables to fluid loss during transcervical resection of submucous myomas. Design: An o bservational study using multiple linear regression analyses. Setting: A university-affiliated training hospital and a university department of clinical epidemiology and biostatistics. Patient(s): Patients with submucous myomas. Intervention(s): Transcervical resection of submuco us myomas and monitoring of fluid loss. Main Outcome Measure(s): Patie nt age, uterine enlargement, treatment with GnRH analogues or 8-ornith ine-vasopressin, type of anesthesia, number of myomas, intramural exte nsion of the myoma (type of myoma), and operating time were tested as variables. Result(s): Only intramural extension of the myoma and opera ting time were obviously related to fluid loss. For the other variable s, such a relation was weak at best. The relation between fluid loss a nd operating time was not modified by any of the other variables. Conc lusion(s): Because fluid loss is an important limiting factor in the t ranscervical resection of submucous myomas, special attention should b e paid to reduction of the operating time and preoperative assessment of the intramural extension of the myoma to guide appropriate patient selection. (C) 1997 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.