New tool (Laparotenser) for gasless laparoscopic myomectomy: a multicenter-controlled study

OBJECTIVE: To assess feasibility and safety of a new surgical instrument-Laparotenser-in the procedure of gasless laparoscopic myomectomy. DESIGN: Multicenter controlled study. SETTING: Academic departments of obstetrics and gynecology, Italy. PATIENT(S): Thirty patients scheduled for gasless laparoscopic myomectomy (experimental group) and another group of 30 patients from our historical records that have undergone traditional laparoscopic myomectomy, matched with the cases for number of fibroids and for size of the main fibroid (control group). INTERVENTION(S): Gasless laparoscopic myomectomy using Laparotenser. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Surgical data. RESULT(S): No significant differences in total operative time, postoperative ileus, hospitalization, time to return to full activity/work, and complication rates were observed between groups. Intraoperative blood loss, hemoglobin level, and surgical difficulty were significantly higher in the experimental than in the control group. Postoperative pain and number of analgesic vials used were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. CONCLUSION(S): Although performed during the learning curve period, the use of the Laparotenser instrument in gasless laparoscopic myomectomy is a safe procedure.