Abstract: Objective To evaluate the impact of laparoscopic surgery on oxidative stress in patients with uterine myomas. Methods Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), antioxidant activity (AOA), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in 20 patients with uterine myomas were measured before, at the end of (5 min after deflation), and 24 h after laparoscopic surgery, for comparison with the measurements in 20 patients receiving laparotomic surgery at the same time points. Results Immediately following laparoscopic surgery, plasma MDA level increased significantly as compared with the preoperative level (P<0.01) and recovered the normal level 24 h after the operation; but in laparotomic surgery, plasma MDA level underwent a slight increase in the immediately early postoperative stage and continued to increase 24 h after the operation. In laparoscopic surgery, GPx and AOA decreased significantly in the early postoperative stage (P<0.01) and recovered to some extent 24 h postoperatively, whereas in laparotomic surgery, GPx and AOA slightly decreased immediately following the operation and further decreased 24 h after the operation. Compared with patients receiving laparotomic surgery, laparoscopic patients had significantly lower plasma MDA level (P<0.01) and significantly higher GPx activity (P<0.01) with comparable AOA level (P=0.33) 24 h after the operation. Conclusion Free radical produces at the end of a laparoscopic procedure, possibly as a result of ischemia-reperfusion induced by the inflation and deflation of the pneumoperitoneum.