Short- and long-term clinical results of laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy and total abdominal hysterectomy.

STUDY

OBJECTIVE

To compare short- and long-term clinical results of laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) and total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH).

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-1).

SETTING

University-affiliated hospital.

PATIENTS: One hundred fifty women who underwent LAVH and 146 who underwent TAH.

INTERVENTION: Hysterectomy.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN

RESULTS

Blood loss during surgery, narcotic analgesic consumption, duration of hospital stay, and convalescence time were significantly higher for women who underwent TAH than for those who underwent LAVH (p <0.05). Operating time was significantly longer for LAVH than for TAH (152.2 +/- 32.4 vs 96.5 +/- 29.6 min, p = 0.014). Eight-year follow-up showed no statistically significant differences in vaginal vault prolapse, cystocele, rectocele, enterocele, postcoital spotting, and cuff granulation between procedures (p >0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Although short-term clinical results revealed some statistically significant differences between LAVH and TAH, long-term follow-up recorded similar frequencies of surgical sequelae.