title: A randomized prospective study of single-port and four-port approaches for hysterectomy in terms of postoperative pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to compare single-port transumbilical total laparoscopic hysterectomy (SPLS-TLH) and four-port total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) in terms of postoperative pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study enrolled 68 patients who underwent TLH from October 2009 to March 2010 and randomly assigned them to one of two groups. Patient demographics, operative outcomes, and postoperative pain were prospectively examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four cases in the SPLS-TLH group were converted to other laparoscopic approaches. The two study groups did not differ in terms of patient demographics and surgical outcomes. Postoperative pain scores, measured using a visual analog scale, did not differ between the two groups. However, significantly higher total requests for analgesics were observed in the SPLS-TLH group (11.3 ± 4.1 vs. 7.7 ± 2.7; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with four-port TLH, SPLS-TLH is a feasible approach with comparable operative outcomes. However, reduction of postoperative pain is not evident with SPLS-TLH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Wook
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ga Won
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.forename: San Hui
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ji Heum
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Paek
authors.forename: Ha Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Eun Ji
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Sang Wun
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Tae
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000379:methods*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies