title: The incidence and significance of acute post-hysterectomy pelvic collections.
abstract: In a prospective study, 32 consecutive patients underwent endovaginal pelvic scanning in the first post-operative week following hysterectomy. Twenty-four attended for a further scan at clinical follow up. Vaginal vault fluid collections were identified in 19 women (59%) on the first post-operative scan. Fifteen of the 19 with collections had no significant pyrexia. Out of the entire sample of 32 subjects, six patients (19%) had significant post-operative pyrexia of whom four were in the group with post-hysterectomy vaginal vault collection and two had no collection on their early post-operative scans. All collections detected on the early scans had resolved or were smaller on follow-up scan but two asymptomatic patients who had no collection on the early scan had developed vaginal vault fluid collections on the late follow-up scan. No statistically significant association was demonstrated between the presence of a collection and post-operative pyrexia, surgical approach or operative blood loss The results of this study indicate that the demonstration of vaginal vault collection following hysterectomy is a frequent finding in both febrile and afebrile subjects and does not indicate the need for drainage.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Radiology, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slavotinek
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burch
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Keefe
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010388:Pelvis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014621:Vagina / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging