Abstract: We investigated, in retrospect, if there were differences in the frequency and types of abdominal surgery between newly diagnosed female fibromyalgia (n= 80) and rheumatoid arthritis (n= 47) patients performed before the formal diagnosis. There was no difference in the total number of abdominal operations between both groups. In the rheumatoid arthritis group more cholecystectomies (p= 0.01) were performed, probably due to the older age of these patients (58.5 vs 48.5 years). However, in the fibromyalgia group there were more hysterectomies (p= 0.04) and appendectomies (p= 0.05) than in the rheumatoid arthritis group.