title: Laparoscopic-assisted hysterectomy in a rural Minnesota hospital.
abstract: Hysterectomy remains a commonly performed gynecologic surgery. An estimated 650,000 women in the United States undergo surgical removal of the uterus annually at a considerable cost to patients, payers, and society at large. Currently, two-thirds of hysterectomies are performed by abdominal surgery and approximately one-third by vaginal surgery. Most research supports laparoscopic-assisted hysterectomy as a safe, effective, and less intrusive alternative to open surgery. Laparoscopy is far less costly, results in less pain, and has a much shorter recovery period. This paper discusses such advantages of the laparoscopic approach over the standard abdominal hysterectomy and reviews 158 laparoscopic-assisted hysterectomies performed at a 100-bed rural Minnesota hospital. Techniques, equipment, patient mix, and complications are discussed. Patients experienced few complications, and most left the hospital in 48 hours.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Tietz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D020706:Laparoscopes; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome