A trial comparing the use of rectal misoprostol plus perivascular vasopressin with perivascular vasopressin alone to decrease myometrial bleeding at the time of abdominal myomectomy

Abstract

Objective: To compare the efficacy of rectal misoprostol plus perivascular vasopressin with perivascular vasopressin alone as hemostatic agents for the reduction of blood loss during myomectomies.

Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled study.

Setting: University of the West Indies and Andrews Memorial Hospital.

Patient(s): Fifty women with symptomatic uterine fibroids, 25 receiving misoprostol and vasopressin and 25 receiving vasopressin alone before myomectomy.

Intervention(s): Abdominal myomectomies on patients with symptomatic uterine fibroids.

Main outcome measure(s): Perioperative blood loss and febrile morbidity.

Result(s): There were no statistically significant differences in sociodemographic, clinical, or myoma characteristics between the two groups at baseline. Postoperatively, there were no statistically significant differences in perioperative febrile morbidity or blood pressure between the groups. However, the group treated with misoprostol plus vasopressin had statistically significantly lower blood loss (geometric mean with 95% confidence interval, 334 mL [261 to 428] vs. 623 mL [354 to 1,094], a smaller change in hemoglobin (1.6 ± 1.5 vs. 3.0 ± 2.0), and a lower requirement for transfusion. In addition to treatment, significant determinants of blood loss were larger size of fibroids and greater number of fibroids.

Conclusion(s): We conclude that perivascular vasopressin plus misoprostol caused a significant reduction in blood loss compared with perivascular vasopressin alone.

Clinical trial registration number: NCT01700478.

Keywords: Blood loss; febrile morbidity; misoprostol; myomectomy; vasopressin.

Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.