Selection methodology and extracted data
The resulting initial study pool was evaluated independently by two
teams of authors, who followed the same steps. Initially, duplicate
records were removed, with the remaining records being screened for
relevance, the most promising of which being moved to full-text
assessment. Disagreements between the two independent teams were
reviewed and resolved, with the included articles ultimately being
agreed upon by all co-authors. Data on study design (study period, type
of study, total sample size, year of publication), patients’
characteristics (mean age, mean BMI etc), myoma characteristics (mean
number, weight, diameter etc), RALM characteristics (Da Vinci model,
methodology, trocars used etc) and comparators were extracted and
organized.
With regard to sought outcomes, data on MOD, EBL, LOS, complication
rates, transfusion rates and conversion rates were extracted and
utilized for meta-analysis. Additional data on fertility were also
extracted, organized and are presented for the purposes of this review,
although not in the form of meta-analysis.