Operating room variables: Endoscopic vs. vaginal surgery in postmenopausal women with apical prolapse. An analysis of retrospective data

Abstract

Objective:Pelvic organ prolapse is a common condition with an increasing prevalence among elderly women. Currently, an efficient surgery to treat such a condition requires both cost-efficiency and time efficiency, since operating rooms also serve as the financial center of modern hospitals. This study is aimed at comparing different approaches to treating an apical prolapse based on perioperative variables, including operating room times and their efficiency. Materials and MethodsWe reviewed and compared the perioperative data of postmenopausal women over 60 who had undergone POP surgery for an apical prolapse via laparoscopic approach between 2012 and 2022 with women who underwent surgery via vaginal approach between 2018 and 2022. The groups were divided into subdivisions based on concomitant hysterectomy. The operating room time, perioperative complications, blood loss, and the time of hospital stay were compared under different groups. Results:A total of 199 patients were included in this study, out of which 66 underwent laparoscopic surgery and 133 underwent vaginal surgery for apical pelvic organ prolapse (POP). The vaginal approach showed significantly shorter operating room times when it came to the duration of anesthesia induction, case preparation, and the surgery. The blood loss did not significantly differ between the groups. The length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the groups with a laparoscopic approach. Conclusion:The advantage of traditional vaginal surgery is the significant time efficiency with better perioperative variables compared to the laparoscopic approach.