title: Minilaparotomy hysterectomy assisted by self-retaining elastic abdominal retractor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify the efficacy and safety of minilaparotomy hysterectomy using a self-retaining elastic abdominal retractor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3).
  
  
  METHODS
  Private hospital, department of obstetrics and gynecology.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-hundred-fifty women, age 37 to 76 years, with benign uterine pathology or preinvasive neoplasia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Minilaparotomy hysterectomy assisted by a self-retaining elastic abdominal retractor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean surgical time was 70 +/- 23.5 minutes (95% CI 63.1-70.7). There were no intraoperative complications. There was no need to extend the initial incision. Eight patients developed complications during the immediate postoperative period (fever in 2, hematoma of the surgical wound in 2, sub-aponeurotic seroma in 2, pubic edema in 1, and pulmonary embolism in 1). During the late postoperative period, a vaginal cuff dehiscence was reported. Mean postoperative hospital stay was 2.5 +/- 0.2 days (95% CI 2.4-2.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Minilaparotomy hysterectomy assisted by a self-retaining abdominal elastic retractor is a safe and effective minimally invasive procedure. Also, it appears to be a good alternative to laparoscopic hysterectomy for institutions that do not have the required expensive equipment or for gynecologists who do not have laparoscopic experience.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clínica Las Condes, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Juan Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Alcalde
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guiloff
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Solà
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pardo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D016304:Hospitals, Private; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies