A COMPARISON OF LAPAROSCOPICALLY ASSISTED VAGINAL HYSTERECTOMY AND ABDOMINAL HYSTERECTOMY

The goal of this study was to compare laparoscopically assisted vagina l hysterectomy (LAVH) with total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH). We perf ormed a prospective comparison of the hospital courses of 30 women, 15 undergoing LAVH and 15 undergoing TAH, in a teaching hospital setting . Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used, with statistical evaluation o f differences by Student's t-test for normally distributed data and Kr uskal-Wallis for data with dissimilar variances. Fourteen of fifteen p atients scheduled for LAVH had their surgery completed without need of a laparotomy. In the LAVH group, (1) mean surgical time was 50 minute s longer, (2) blood loss, complications, and hospital costs were not s tatistically different, (3) hospital days averaged 1 1/2 less, and (4) postoperative pain ratings and medication requirements were significa ntly decreased, compared with the TAH group. In many cases, LAVH may b e reasonably performed instead of an indicated TAH.