Audit of morbidity and mortality rates of 1792 hysterectomies

Abstract

Study objective: To audit morbidity and mortality rates of laparoscopic, abdominal, and vaginal hysterectomy.

Design: Retrospective review of monthly morbidity and mortality rates (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

Setting: University teaching hospital.

Patients: One thousand seven hundred ninety-two women who underwent hysterectomy for benign, nonobstetric indications at the Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital.

Interventions: Laparoscopic supracervical (LASH), vaginal (VH), and abdominal (AH) hysterectomies.

Main outcome measures: Morbidity outcomes of different types of hysterectomy. Reoperation, admission to the intensive care unit, discordant diagnosis, and prolonged hospitalization also were evaluated.

Results: We studied 223 cases of LASH, 1349 AH, and 220 VH. The overall hysterectomy-related morbidity rate was 6.1%. The rate of morbidity was higher in the LASH group (9.4%) than in the AH group (5.2%, p <.01), but no significant difference was noted between AH and VH (8.6%). The incidence of intraoperative bowel injury was 0.4% in the LASH group (a trocar injury in a patient) and 0.3% in the AH group. Bladder injury was encountered in two patients in the LASH group (0.9%) and in another two in the AH group (0.1%). Ureteral injury occurred in a patient in the AH group (0.07%). There were no cases of intraoperative vascular injury. Vaginal hysterectomy was associated with more urinary retention and hematoma formation than the other two groups. Discordant diagnosis was noted in four cases (two missed endometrial cancer, atonic and distended bladder mistaken for an ovarian cyst, and pelvic tuberculosis). The conversion rate to laparotomy was 1.7% in the LASH group and 0.4% in the VH group, and the incidence of reoperation was 0.4% in the AH group.

Conclusions: The overall hysterectomy-related morbidity rate in our series is 6.1%. Compared with other types of hysterectomy, more urinary retention and hematoma formation occur after VH. Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy is associated with a higher morbidity rate than AH; mainly because of conversion to laparotomy and blood transfusion.