Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy

Abstract

Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy is a minimally invasive procedure that was developed during the 1990s as a treatment for abnormal uterine bleeding. The literature regarding this procedure, mainly case series and retrospective comparisons, suggests that laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy results in reduced operating time and blood loss and a quicker return to normal activity, compared with laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy. A randomized, controlled trial that compared laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy with hysteroscopic endometrial resection found that laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy resulted in significantly better patient satisfaction at 2 years for similar costs. Unfortunately, there are no randomized trials that have compared laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy to vaginal or abdominal hysterectomy. Given the lack of appropriate randomized, controlled trials and the limitations of the existing research, the laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy's true value and appropriate clinical indications remain unknown. Well-designed randomized, controlled trials that compare laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy with laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy, total vaginal hysterectomy, and total abdominal hysterectomy, with attention to short- and long-term morbidity, postoperative vaginal bleeding, postoperative cervical disease, sexual function, urinary symptoms, and pelvic prolapse are needed. The purpose of this article was to review the existing literature regarding laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy and to evaluate the evidence regarding the proposed risks and benefits of the procedure.