RADICAL ABDOMINAL HYSTERECTOMY USING THE ENDO-GIA STAPLER - REPORT OF150 CASES AND LITERATURE-REVIEW

Over a seven-year period from 1990-1997 150 consecutive patients under went Type III radical abdominal hysterectomy using the ENDO-GIA staple r on the cardinal and uterosacral ligaments. Compared to prior patient s operated on with standard suturing methods, the stapler patients had shorter operating times, lower blood loss and infection rates, and sh orter hospital stays without any increase in recurrence rate. The equi pment failure rate was 3%. Although not all improvements in surgical a nd post-operative morbidity are likely due to use of the ENDO-GIA stap ler, the use of the stapler clearly lowered operating times, blood los s, surgical morbidity, hospital stay with no adverse effect on patient survival.