An analysis of fluid loss during transcervical resection of submucous myomas

Objective: To determine the contribution of several variables to fluid loss during transcervical resection of submucous myomas. Design: An observational 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 submucous myomas and monitoring of fluid loss. Main Outcome Measure(s): Patient age, uterine enlargement, treatment with GnRH analogues or 8-ornithine-vasopressin, type of anesthesia, number of myomas, intramural extension of the myoma (type of myoma), and operating time were tested as variables. Result(s): Only intramural extension of the myoma and operating time were obviously related to fluid loss. For the other variables, such a relation was weak at best. The relation between fluid loss and operating time was not modified by any of the other variables. Conclusion(s): Because fluid loss is an important limiting factor in the transcervical resection of submucous myomas, special attention should be paid to reduction of the operating time and preoperative assessment of the intramural extension of the myoma to guide appropriate patient selection.