Myomectomy—Open Surgery Side Effects and Warnings

Possible Complications

Complications are rare, but no procedure is completely free of risk. If you are planning to have a myomectomy, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• Bleeding
• Surgical wound infection
• Recurrence of fibroids
• Damage to other organs
• Wall of the uterus may be weakened if a large fibroid is removed
• Reactions to anesthesia
• Need for special precautions in pregnancy (eg, need to deliver by cesarean section )
• Pelvic adhesions that can cause pain and/or bowel blockage
• Problems found during surgery that make removal of the uterus necessary
• Severe scarring, resulting in infertility

Factors that may increase the risk of complications include:

• Obesity
• Chronic or recent illness
• Recent drug use, tobacco, or alcohol use
• Use of certain prescription medicines
• Diabetes

Be sure to discuss these risks with your doctor before the procedure.

Call Your Doctor

After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Signs of infection, including fever and chills
• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the incision site
• Excessive vaginal bleeding (soaking more than one pad per hour) after the procedure
• Excessive vaginal discharge that continues beyond one month after the procedure
• Vaginal discharge has a foul odor
• Severe abdominal pain
• Headaches, muscle aches, dizziness , or general ill feeling
• Nausea, vomiting, constipation , or abdominal swelling
• Pain and/or swelling in one or both legs
• Fibroid symptoms return after the procedure
• Cough , shortness of breath, or chest pain
• Pain, burning, urgency or frequency of urination, or persistent bleeding in the urine
• New, unexplained symptoms

In case of an emergency, CALL 911.