Abdominal Hysterectomy - Vaginal Hysterectomy - Laparoscopically Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy

To verify the efficacy and safety of minilaparotomy hysterectomy using a self-retaining elastic abdominal retractor.

Design:

Retrospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3).

Setting:

Private hospital, department of obstetrics and gynecology.

Patients:

One-hundred-fifty women, age 37 to 76 years, with benign uterine pathology or preinvasive neoplasia.

Intervention:

Minilaparotomy hysterectomy assisted by a self-retaining elastic abdominal retractor.

Measurements and Main

Results:

The mean surgical time was 70 +/- 23.5 minutes (95% CI 63.1-70.7). There were no intraoperative complications. There was no need to extend the initial incision. Eight patients developed complications during the immediate postoperative period (fever in 2, hematoma of the surgical wound in 2, sub-aponeurotic seroma in 2, pubic edema in 1, and pulmonary embolism in 1). During the late postoperative period, a vaginal cuff dehiscence was reported. Mean postoperative hospital stay was 2.5 +/- 0.2 days (95% CI 2.4-2.6).

Conclusion:

Minilaparotomy hysterectomy assisted by a self-retaining abdominal elastic retractor is a safe and effective minimally invasive procedure. Also, it appears to be a good alternative to laparoscopic hysterectomy for institutions that do not have the required expensive equipment or for gynecologists who do not have laparoscopic experience.

Please click on the required question.

• 1 Are heavy periods a common problem?
• 2 What is in my menstrual flow?
• 3 What range of menstrual cycle length is considered to be normal?
• 4 How can menstrual blood loss be measured?
• 5 How can I tell if my periods are abnormally heavy?
• 6 What could be the cause of my very heavy menstrual periods?
• 7 I have been sterilised. Could this be the cause of my heavy periods?
• 8 Should I have tests to find the reason for my heavy periods?
• 9 How will my heavy period problems be investigated?
• 10 What is meant by anaemia due to heavy periods?
• 11 What is intermenstrual bleeding?
• 12 What is a hysteroscopy and D and C?
• 13 What is cervical cautery?
• 14 What happens after the D and C?
• 15 What treatments are available for my heavy periods?
• 16 What are the medical treatments available for heavy periods?
• 17 How do the various medical treatments for heavy periods work?
• 18 What would be reasonable initial treatment for a teenager or young woman with heavy periods?
• 19 What is a hysterectomy?
• 20 What are the indications for hysterectomy?
• 21 What are the risks (complications) of hysterectomy?
• 22 What is vault granulation?
• 23 What are the different types of hysterectomy?
• 24 Is it essential to remove the neck of the womb at hysterectomy?
• 25 Should my ovaries be removed or conserved during hysterectomy?
• 26 How long will I be in hospital when I have my hysterectomy?
• 27 I have had a hysterectomy. Do I still need to have smear tests?
• 28 What are the other surgical alternatives to hysterectomy?
• 29 How do endometrial ablation and hysterectomy compare?
• 30 Are there any psychological effects following hysterectomy?
• 31 How do we decide the best treatment for my period problems?
• 32 Could I have some recommended hysterectomy support groups?
• 33 Are there any support groups?
• Intermenstrual Bleeding - Bleeding between periods.