OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility and safety of vaginal removal of ovaries at the time of vaginal hysterectomy. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: London teaching hospital. POPULATION: Between March 1993 and March 1995, 40 women were admitted under the care of one consultant for vaginal hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy. METHODS: The success rate of removing the ovaries vaginally was calculated and the operative time, blood loss, intra- and post-operative complications and patient recovery were analysed and compared with 48 patients who had a vaginal hysterectomy but retained their ovaries during the same time period. RESULTS: Thirty-nine (97.5%) of the 40 women due to undergo removal of the ovaries were managed successfully via the vaginal route; one woman required laparoscopic removal of one of her ovaries containing an ovarian cyst which was not diagnosed pre-operatively. A variety of techniques were used for vaginal oophorectomy which included salpingo-oophorectomy, oophorectomy without salpingectomy, and transvaginal endoscopic oophorectomy utilising endoloop sutures or bipolar electrosurgery. Oophorectomy added a mean of 23.4 min (88.3 vs 64.9 min, 95% CI 10.2-36.7, P < 0.001) to the total operating time compared with vaginal hysterectomy alone. No laparotomies were required, and both the complication rate and post-operative inpatient stay were similar for the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The need to perform oophorectomy should not be considered a contraindication to vaginal hysterectomy.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility and safety of vaginal removal of ovaries at the time of vaginal hysterectomy. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: London teaching hospital. POPULATION: Between March 1993 and March 1995, 40 women were admitted under the care of one consultant for vaginal hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy. METHODS: The success rate of removing the ovaries vaginally was calculated and the operative time, blood loss, intra- and post-operative complications and patient recovery were analysed and compared with 48 patients who had a vaginal hysterectomy but retained their ovaries during the same time period. RESULTS: Thirty-nine (97.5%) of the 40 women due to undergo removal of the ovaries were managed successfully via the vaginal route; one woman required laparoscopic removal of one of her ovaries containing an ovarian cyst which was not diagnosed pre-operatively. A variety of techniques were used for vaginal oophorectomy which included salpingo-oophorectomy, oophorectomy without salpingectomy, and transvaginal endoscopic oophorectomy utilising endoloop sutures or bipolar electrosurgery. Oophorectomy added a mean of 23.4 min (88.3 vs 64.9 min, 95% CI 10.2-36.7, P < 0.001) to the total operating time compared with vaginal hysterectomy alone. No laparotomies were required, and both the complication rate and post-operative inpatient stay were similar for the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The need to perform oophorectomy should not be considered a contraindication to vaginal hysterectomy.
Authors: Kristie A Greene; Allison M Wyman; Nupur Tamhane; Jean Paul Tanner; Renee M Bassaly; Jason L Salemi Journal: Int Urogynecol J Date: 2021-03-03 Impact factor: 2.894