Factors Influencing Laparoconversions During the Learning Curve of Laparoscopic Myomectomy

Although laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) provides a minimally invasive alternative to laparotomy for removing intramural and subserosal uterine myomas, even experienced surgeons occasionally have to convert to an open procedure. Dubuisson and coworkers have developed a model predicting the need for laparoconversion (LC) based on 4 independent risk factors: size, type, and site of the dominant myoma, and pretreatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist. The investigators sought to identify preoperative factors that influence the need for LC in 116 women having laparoscopic myomectomy at 11 centers in the years 1996 through 2000. An attempt was made, using multiple logistic regression analysis, to develop a predictive model based on available preoperative risk factors for LC.