Vaginal surgery: don't get bent out of shape.

ABSTRACT

Vaginal hysterectomy rates in the United States are decreasing, despite it being the recommended hysterectomy route for benign hysterectomy by multiple societies. Visualization issues are a known barrier to a medical student learning in the operating room, and it is likely that this also extends to resident training. In addition, vaginal surgery can be taxing on both the surgeons and assistants, with high rates of musculoskeletal work disorders reported in vaginal surgeons. The use of a camera is integral to endoscopic surgery, and table-mounted retractor systems have been used for decades in open surgery. We bring these 2 features into vaginal surgery, that is, using a table-mounted camera system and a table-mounted vaginal retractor. When used together as demonstrated in this video, these tools can improve visualization and may improve ergonomics for the entire surgical team, including learners, during vaginal surgery.