HYSTEROSCOPIC TREATMENT OF UTERINE FIBROIDS

We report long-term results of transcervical resections of submucous f ibroids using a retrospective case review. From October 1987 to Decemb er 1992, hysteroscopic surgery was performed on 239 patients who had o ne or more submucous fibroids. The clinical manifestations were repres ented by menorrhagia or metrorrhagia or both, postmenopausal metrorrha gia, and primary or secondary infertility. Owing to incomplete resecti ons or to recurrence of abnormal bleeding, 39 patients had a repeat re section. Two hundred seventy-nine transcervical resections were perfor med on 239 patients. Our mean follow-up period was 2.5 years. Although rare, complications consisted mainly of 7 cases of uterine perforatio n and 5 cases of metabolic disturbance. Sixteen patients came from ste rile couples; we obtained 4 pregnancies (25%). Twenty-seven patients h ad postmenopausal metrorrhagia, and the disappearance of postmenopausa l bleeding was obtained in 24 cases (88.9%). One hundred ninety-six pa tients had menstrual disorders, and a successful result was obtained i n 81.1%. Transcervical resection is a safe, effective, and long-term t reatment of submucous fibroids.