Surgical Management of Uterine Fibroids in Makurdi, Nigeria (original) (raw)

Uterine leiomyomas are the commonest benign tumours of the female genital tract, occurring in young women of reproductive age. Treatment modalities, in our setting, are mainly surgical. The aim was to determine the incidence, patterns of presentation and appraise the intra and post-operative morbidities associated with the surgical methods of management. A retrospective review of surgically managed cases of uterine fibroids over a five-year period from September, 2002-August, 2007 was carried out at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, Nigeria. Data was obtained from the medical records department, gynaecology ward admissions and theatre registers. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS for windows version 16 and significance was set at P-value of < 0.05%. One hundred and thirty one cases of uterine fibroids were reviewed. They constituted 8.4% and 14.9% of new gynaecological admissions and surgeries respectively. Uterine fibroids were commoner amongst nulliparous or low parity women, namely para 0-2, 116 (88.5%) and within the 3 rd and 4 th decades of life 108 (82.4%). Majority of patients had abdominal swelling 58.8%, and menorrhagia 52.7%. Surgical treatment was the major mode of management of the condition, with myomectomy accounting for 84.0% and hysterectomy 16.0% of the cases. Pyrexia (26.0%), anaemia (19.8%), and prolonged hospital stay (16.0%) constituted the major post-operative morbidities. Uterine fibroids are a major gynaecological condition among women of low parity in the third and fourth decade of life in Makurdi. Surgery was the mainstay of management. The post operative morbidities were pyrexia, anaemia, and occasionally prolonged hospital stay.