Cost-Effectiveness of Laparoscopic-Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy

This study enrolled nearly 1300 women having hysterectomy for benign indications at 28 hospitals during 1992 and 1993. Of these procedures, 816 were performed abdominally, 311 vaginally, and 154 were laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomies (LAVH). On average, LAVH was more expensive ($4294) than abdominal ($2753) and vaginal ($2312) hysterectomies, primarily due to higher operating room and surgical supply costs. Women who had LAVH were younger, had higher incomes, were more educated, more likely to be treated at nonteaching and smaller hospitals, and had lower comorbidity scores than those in the other two groups. After adjusting for these differences, LAVH was not significantly different from vaginal hysterectomy in terms of operative and postoperative complications, readmissions, postoperative days of pain, days in bed, days of feeling tired, days before resuming full activities, and days before going back to work full time. Compared with abdominal hysterectomy the vaginal groups combined had significantly fewer days of pain, days of feeling tired, and days back to work full time. By 6 months after surgery the three groups were quite similar in terms of patient satisfaction and other outcome measures.