Obesity and vaginal hysterectomy.

A retrospective study was done of 471 consecutive vaginal hysterectomies done in a three-year period. Three groups of patients--239 normal to 9% overweight, 132 10-24% overweight and 100 greater than or equal to 25% overweight--were compared. Surgical difficulties were similar in all three groups. The more obese patient had a slightly greater incidence of febrile morbidity, stayed one day longer in the hospital and had a minimally greater loss of hemoglobin 48 hours postoperatively. However, obesity per se caused few problems during and after vaginal hysterectomy. The vaginal approach is the procedure of choice for hysterectomy in obese women.