Outcome of radical hysterectomies performed by general gynecologists in Jamaica

Abstract

Objective: To review the modified (type II) radical hysterectomy procedures performed by 4 general gynecologists at the University Hospital of the West Indies, and to compare the outcomes with those of other published studies.

Methods: The case notes of the 58 women who underwent radical hysterectomies between January 1997 and December 2006 were reviewed. Accuracy of staging, duration of the operation, operative blood loss, types and rates of complications, recurrence rates, and 5-year survival rates were assessed.

Results: Accuracy of clinical staging, duration of the procedure, blood loss, and operative and postoperative complications were comparable to previously published data. The 5-year survival rate of 77.6% was also comparable to results seen in some other publications.

Conclusion: General gynecologists with significant experience in general gynecologic surgery who underwent adequate, but abbreviated, training became competent in performing a radical hysterectomy, with outcomes comparable to those seen in high-resource countries.