[Hysterectomy through laparoscopy: ten-years experience at Hospital Español de México]

To analyze both clinical and surgical characteristics of patients with no oncologic diseases treated with any variant of laparoscopic hysterectomy during the 1996-2005 period in Hospital Español de Mexico, and compare them with the reported in literature.

Retrospective, longitudinal, descriptive, not experimental. Total 376 patients; group 1, 204 with laparoscopic hysterectomy; group 2, 157 laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy; group 3, 15 laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy.

Mean age similar for each group (43.9, 44.4 and 44.8), larger numberof patients with at least one previous vaginal delivery compared with cesarean in the first two groups (65.7 vs 55.5%, 77.7 vs. 15.2%); identical in the third group (40 vs. 40%). The 51.5% had at least one previous gynecological-obstetric surgery (52.9, 49.0 and 60%). The mean uterine length was similar in the 3 groups (9.6, 9.8 y 10.9 cm). The most predominant diagnosis was uterine leiomyomata (75, 50.6 and 73.3%). The mean surgical time was shorter in the third group (159.5, 158 and 117.6 min.). Hospital stay was shorter in the third group (2.6, 2.9 and 2.2 days). Group 3 had no minor or major complications. The corresponding major complications was 1.9% (group 1) and 1.8% (group 2); minor complications was 4.9% y 3.1% for groups 1 and two respectively.

There were no significant differences between the clinical and surgical characteristics regarding patients and surgical procedure, therefore they could be offered for the vast majority of patients with no oncologic disease.