Source: DGNews  |  Posted 2 years ago

By Bruce Sylvester

CHICAGO -- May 8, 2009 -- Robotic hysterectomy is an effective alternative to laparotomy for benign gynaecological conditions, according to a study presented here at the 57th Annual Clinical Meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

"Not only can we offer our patients this minimally invasive approach, but we can do so safely and efficiently, reducing complications, hospital stay, and costs, while getting patients back to their normal lives more quickly," said Terry Grogg, MD, Minimally Invasive Institute, Mt. Carmel Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.

The study retrospectively compared data from the last 100 total abdominal hysterectomies with the first 100 robotic hysterectomies performed by the same surgeon in a community hospital.

Results were presented in a poster presentation on May 4.

Age, body mass index (BMI), uterine weight, prior abdominal or pelvic surgery, indications, type of procedures performed, operative time, estimated blood loss (EBL), length of stay (LOS), complications, and conversion rates were assessed.

No statistically significant differences were found for age, BMI, uterine weight, prior surgeries, indications, or operative time between the groups. However, significantly lower EBL (74 vs 172.4 mL, P < .0001), shorter LOS (23.1 vs 58.6 hours, P < .0001), and lower complication rates (2% vs 22%, P < .08) were seen for the robotic hysterectomy group compared with the total abdominal hysterectomy group.

No conversion to laparotomy was found in the robotic hysterectomy group.

"Even including cases from early in the learning curve, robotic hysterectomy can lower LOS, reduce blood loss, and reduce complications compared to laparotomy for benign gynaecologic conditions," concluded Dr. Grogg.

[Presentation title: Comparison of Robotic Hysterectomy to Total Abdominal Hysterectomy for Benign Gynecologic Conditions. Abstract 41]