Laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy. The initial Nashville, Tennessee, experience

It is now possible to begin a difficult hysterectomy via laparoscopy with or without adnexal removal and then complete the operation vaginally. We report our successful experience with laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy in 62 of 68 patients. Techniques used for hemostatic separation of the uterus and adnexal pedicles included an automatic laparoscopic stapling device (49 cases), bipolar coagulation with sharp transection (11) and combined techniques (2). Minor complications occurred in four patients. Six patients had their operations converted from laparoscopy to laparotomy because of significant adhesions (three), large fibroids (two) and poor access due to obesity (one). The use of a stapling device required less anesthesia time (1 hour, 57 minutes, vs. 3 hours, 43 minutes), a smaller blood loss (145 vs. 247 mL) and shorter hospital stays (2.53 vs. 2.75 days) than did laparoscopic bipolar coagulation. However, the average hospital costs were greater for disposable automatic stapling devices and trocars when compared to bipolar coagulation techniques ($9,310 vs. $6,227). Postoperative patient satisfaction with the operation was high (98%), with a high rate of symptom resolution (95%). Laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy is a safe, effective operation in selected cases and may soon become a common alternative to abdominal hysterectomy in certain cases.