Cervical stump necrosis and septic shock after laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy

The decision to retain or remove the cervix when performing laparoscopic hysterectomy remains a topic of debate. A 38-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis underwent laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LASH) for menometrorrhagia. Two weeks later, she was seen at our institution with septic shock. She underwent an exploratory laparotomy and was found to have cervical stump necrosis and peritonitis. Trachelectomy was performed. The postoperative course was prolonged by persistent fever, pleural effusion, and abscess collections. Although rare, cervical stump necrosis is a possible complication of LASH.