title: Comparison of laparoscopy-assisted hysterectomies with conventional hysterectomies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare operative and early postoperative outcomes of laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) and laparoscopy assisted supracervical hysterectomy (LASH) with conventional hysterectomy by laparotomy or vaginally, including patients undergoing total or subtotal hysterectomy for benign gynecologic disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three different methods of hysterectomies: laparoscopic, vaginal, and abdominal, were compared at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran, including all patients with indication of uterus removal for benign uterine disease from January 2005 to December 2007. The regional medical research ethics committee approved the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 288 hysterectomies were performed: 165 (57.3%) abdominal hysterectomy, 85 (29.5%) vaginal hysterectomy, and 38 (13.2%) laparoscopic-assisted hysterectomy. Laparoscopy assisted hysterectomy (LAVH, LASH) was associated with significantly lower early postoperative pain scores and complication rates, less blood loss, short hospital stay, and resulted in lower hospital charge with reusable devices statistically (p=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopy is preferred to abdominal hysterectomy by laparotomy and to vaginal hysterectomy. Though vaginal hysterectomy had less complications and rapid recovery and patient satisfaction as compared with abdominal, but it was limited for multiparous patients with some degree of pelvic organ prolapse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Alzahra Teaching Hospital, South Artesh Avenue, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. dr_s_abdollahi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Seddigheh F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Abdollahi
authors.forename: Abolfazl
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bahlouli
authors.forename: Parvin G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Mostafa
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rasooli
authors.forename: Ghojazadeh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morteza
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000379:methods*; D010535:Laparoscopy