[Total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH): results at a tertiary referral hospital]. / Histerectomía total laparoscópica: resultados en un hospital de tercer nivel de atención.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The laparoscopic total hysterectomy is an increasingly applied alternative in the surgical management of uterine pathology. OBJECTIVE: To describe the results obtained in patients that underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy for the management of benign uterine pathology. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We performed a descriptive, longitudinal and retrospective study in which results on 151 patients who underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy between October 2008 and July 2011 are reported. RESULTS: The average age of the population was 42.5 years (30-56 years); body mass index averaged 25.8 kg/m2 (18-37 kg/m2). The most common surgical indication was uterine fibroids in 121 cases (80.1%). Among the surgical outcomes, the average operative time was 140.3 minutes (70-275 minutes); average total bleeding, 131 mL (50-400 mL); 3 cases (1.98%) of bladder injury were reported. The immediate postoperative evolution was hospitalization of 1.4 days (1-7 days). Late postoperative complications were fistulas of the urinary tract in 7 cases (4.63%), and in 1 case (0.66%) infection of the vaginal vault. The average weight of surgical specimens was 210 g (50-650 g). CONCLUSIONS: Total laparoscopic hysterectomy is an appropriate therapeutic option We believe that careful selection of patients is critical to providing the best results.