Laparoscopic-Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy Is a Safe Alternative to Abdominal Hysterectomy

In a retrospective review, the initial 50 cases of laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) were compared with 50 total abdominal hysterectomies (TAH) done during the same period, with respect to age, indications, blood loss, operative time, patient morbidity and hospital stay. Indications for both procedures were almost similar, but LAVH took longer to perform than TAH (1.52 vs 1.18 hrs). It also required a shorter hospital stay (3 vs 5 days) and led to a faster recovery of 3 to 4 weeks compared with 6 weeks for TAH. The complication rate for LAVH was 2.5%, compared with none for TAH. The cost of LAVH per patient was significantly less than that of TAH. The data suggest that LAVH is a safe and cost-effective alternative to TAH.