Both Hysterectomies and Myomectomies for Fibroid Removal Improve Quality of Life

Women who underwent surgery to treat uterine fibroids showed improvements in their symptoms and quality of life six to 12 weeks after having either hysterectomies or myomectomies, according to a new AHRQ-funded study in Obstetrics & Gynecology. While hysterectomies to treat fibroids result in the removal of all or part of the uterus, and often other organs, myomectomies result in removal of fibroids without taking out the healthy tissue of the uterus. Researchers who surveyed nearly 1,300 women, ages 18 to 54, at eight clinical sites found that improvements in quality of life measures were similar for both procedures. Study results will allow providers to help their patients make decisions about their surgery options based on their personal preferences, researchers concluded. The study used data from “Comparing Options for Management: PAtient-Centered REsults for Uterine Fibroids (COMPARE-UF), the largest multisite registry on fibroid procedures ever conducted in the United States. The registry was funded by AHRQ and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.