Using international data to set benchmarks for morbidity outcomes after hysterectomy

Complications of total laparoscopic hysterectomy: A retrospective study of cases performed by a single surgeon

Hysterectomy is the most common gynaecological surgery and there are different techniques of performing hysterectomy. With the advent of laparoscopic technology, laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) is rapidly gaining its ground. However, every surgery has its complications which are specific but also depends on various factors such as surgical sk[ills and experience of surgeons, levels of operative laparoscopy and patient populations.

Aims and Objective

In this study, we evaluated the complications of total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) and analysed the trend of complications, intraoperative and post-operative, over a period of time.

Methods

It was a retrospective study conducted in the private care setting. All women who underwent hysterectomy for benign conditions from a 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2017, (15 years) were included in this study. A total of 3272 patients were operated during this period. All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon.

Results

Intraoperative complications that occurred during surgery during the study period were 3 cases (0.09%) had bladder injury, 3 cases (0.09%) had bowel injury, 1 case (0.03%) had internal iliac vessel bleeding and 1 case(0.03%) needed conversion to vaginal hysterectomy due to cautery failure and post operative complications were 90 cases (2.75%) had vault bleeding, 2 cases (0.06%) had intestinal obstruction, 5 cases (0.15%) had paralytic ileus, 1 case (0.03%) had vesicovaginal fistula, 1 case(0.03%) had ureterovaginal fistula and 1 case (0.03%) had peritonitis.

Conclusions

TLH is a very effective, patient-friendly and safe technique in the hands of experienced surgeons giving good quality of life to patients postoperatively.

Comparison of the Effects of Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy and Total Abdominal Hysterectomy on Sexual Function and Quality of Life

It is known that benign gynecological diseases negatively affect sexual function. For this reason, hysterectomy provides improvement in sexual function as well as symptoms such as bleeding and pain. The effects of abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) and laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH), which are the two most common types of hysterectomy today, are not clear. In our study, we investigated the effects of TAH and TLH on sexual function and quality of life as well as intraoperative and postoperative results. In 329 TLH and 126 TAH patients, we compared both and between themselves preoperatively and postoperatively by using the standardized and validated female sexual function index (FSFI) and European quality of life five-dimension scale (EQ-5D). In conclusion, we found that both types of hysterectomy were effective in improving sexual function, and we concluded that improvement in the laparoscopy group was statistically higher. Patients who require hysterectomy for benign gynecological reasons should be informed that TLH has a more positive effect on sexual function as well as other advantages, and if the patients' main complaint is sexual dysfunction, TLH should be preferred compared to TAH.

Comparison of the short-term and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic hysterectomies and of abdominal hysterectomies: a case study of 4,895 patients in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the short-term and long-term outcomes after laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) compared with abdominal hysterectomy (AH) in case of benign gynecological disease.

METHODS

A multi-center cohort retrospective comparative study of population among 4,895 hysterectomies (3,539 LH vs.1,356 AH) between 2007 and 2013 was involved. Operative time (OT), estimated blood loss (EBL), intra-operative and post-operative complications, passing flatus; days with indwelling catheter, questionnaires covering pelvic floor functions and sexual functions were assessed.

RESULTS

The EBL (174.1±157.4 vs. 263.1±183.2 cc, LH and AH groups, respectively), passing flatus (38.7±14.1 vs. 48.1±13.2 hours), days with indwelling catheter (1.5±0.6 vs. 2.2±0.8 days), use of analgesics (6.5% vs. 73.1%), intra-operative complication rate (2.4% vs. 4.1%), post-operative complication rate (2.3% vs. 5.7%), post-operative constipation (12.1% vs. 24.6%), mild and serious stress urinary incontinence (SUI) post-operative (P<0.001; P=0.014), and proportion of Female Sexual Functioning Index (FSFI) total score <26.55 post-operative (P<0.001) of the LH group were significantly less than those of AH group. There were no significant differences in OT (106.5±34.5 vs. 106.2±40.3 min) between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

LH is a safe and efficient operation for improving patients?long-term quality of life (QoL), and LH is a cost-effectiveness procedure for treating benign gynecological disease. LH is superior to AH due to reduced EBL, reduced post-operative pain and earlier passing flatus.