title: Finnish national register of laparoscopic hysterectomies: a review and complications of 1165 operations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of laparoscopic hysterectomy over a 2-year period when this new technique was introduced to several hospitals in Finland.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nationwide register was founded and a prospective multicenter survey of 1165 laparoscopic hysterectomies was carried out from January 1993 to December 1994. The operations were performed because of uterine fibroids (54%), menorrhagia (27%), dysmenorrhea (8%), endometriosis (2%), and other reasons (9%) by 68 gynecologists at 30 hospitals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean operation time was 132 minutes. The patients stayed in hospital for an average of 3.3 days, and the mean convalescence period was 17.9 days, half that after abdominal hysterectomy. Complications occurred in 10.2% of the procedures: infections in 5.6%, vascular complications in 1.2%, urinary tract complications in 2.7%, and bowel complications in 0.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic hysterectomy offers a short hospital stay and convalescence time to the patient, but effective teaching is imperative to minimize, in particular, the risk of urinary tract injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jorvi Hospital, Espoo, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Härkki-Sirén
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sjöberg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mäkinen
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kauko
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tomás
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laatikainen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries