Outcomes and complications of laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy

Objective: To report whether operative time, intraoperative complications, and rate of conversion to laparotomy decreased after physicians had acquired an additional 4 years experience with laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH). Methods: Group 1 (n = 462) included the women who underwent LAVH from May 1, 1994 to December 31, 1997, and group 2 (n = 583) included those who underwent LAVH from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2001. Results: The mean duration of surgery in groups 1 and 2 was 146 and 114 min, respectively, and the difference was significant (P <0.0001). The overall complication rate in the last 4 years of the study was 7.1%, which was significantly lower than the 13.4% calculated for the first 4 years (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Operative time as well as rates of surgical complications and conversion to laparotomy decreased with increased surgeon experience at performing LAVH.