title: Outcomes and complications of laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report whether operative time, intraoperative complications, and rate of conversion to laparotomy decreased after physicians had acquired an additional 4years experience with laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Group 1 (n=462) included the women who underwent LAVH from May 1, 1994 to December 31, 1997, and group 2 (n=583) included those who underwent LAVH from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2001.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean duration of surgery in groups 1 and 2 was 146 and 114 min, respectively, and the difference was significant (P<0.0001). The overall complication rate in the last 4years of the study was 7.1%, which was significantly lower than the 13.4% calculated for the first 4years (P=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Operative time as well as rates of surgical complications and conversion to laparotomy decreased with increased surgeon experience at performing LAVH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kok-Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Seow
authors.forename: Chung-Tsung
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Tsou
authors.forename: Yu-Hung
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jiann-Loung
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Yieh-Loong
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Lee-Wen
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007045:Hysterectomy, Vaginal / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods*; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome