Study objective: To estimate the impact of body mass index (BMI) on surgical outcomes in patients undergoing robotic myomectomy.
Design: A retrospective cohort data analysis (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).
Setting: Community-based teaching hospital.
Patients: A total of 77 consecutive patients from January 2005 through November 2008 with symptomatic leiomyomata.
Intervention: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy.
Measurements and main results: Body mass index ([BMI] expressed as kg/m(2)) was abstracted from the medical charts of all patients undergoing robotic myomectomy. Data on estimated blood loss, procedure time, length of hospital stay, diameter of the largest fibroid, and specimen weight were also extracted. Overall patient demographics between the groups were similar. Thirty-two patients (41.6%) were obese or morbidly obese (BMI>30). The parameters analyzed for associations with the continuous measure of BMI included length of postoperative hospital stay (LOS), estimated blood loss (EBL), and procedure duration. Median (range) procedure time among all patients was (195 minutes, 98-653 minutes), estimated blood loss was (100 mL, 10-700 mL), and length of hospital stay was (1 day, 1-5 days). No associations were determined between BMI and LOS (r=0.14, p=.22), EBL (r=0.25, p=.03), or procedure duration (r=0.16, p=.22) with Spearman correlations. The size of the largest leiomyoma diameter did not affect these associations.
Conclusion: Preoperative obesity is not a risk factor for poor surgical outcome in patients undergoing robotic myomectomy.