Mechanical bowel preparation before laparoscopic hysterectomy: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the influence of mechanical bowel preparation on surgical field visualization during laparoscopic hysterectomy.

METHODS

The study's primary outcome was the percentage of operations rated "good" or "excellent" in terms of surgical field visualization at the outset of the case by the primary surgeon. Additional measures included assessment of visualization during the case and patient perioperative comfort. The study was powered to detect a 20% absolute difference in the proportion of cases rated as "good" or "excellent."

RESULTS

Seventy-three patients were assigned to mechanical bowel preparation and 73 to no mechanical bowel preparation. The groups were comparable regarding patient and surgery characteristics. No differences were found for this rating between groups (mechanical bowel preparation, 64 of 73 patients [87.7%], compared with no mechanical bowel preparation, 60 of 73 patients [82.2%], P=.36). Surgeons guessed patient assignment correctly 59% of the time (42 of 71 patients) with mechanical bowel preparation and 55% of the time (41 of 75 patients) with no mechanical bowel preparation.

CONCLUSION

Mechanical bowel preparation is well-tolerated but does not influence surgical field visualization for laparoscopic hysterectomy.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinialTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01576965.