title: A retrospective study of laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) in virgins and nulliparae.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the feasibility and result of LAVH performed in virgins and nulliparae.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of 297 consecutive cases of LAVH using the Biswas Uterine Vaginal Elevator (BUVE) in a private hospital in Hong Kong for benign gynaecological conditions between July 2006 and February 2009. Variables analysed included patient demographics, operative times, uterine weight, hospital stay, intraoperative blood loss, and operative complications. Patients who were virgins and nulliparae were compared to each other and to a control group of patients receiving LAVH during the same period of time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 297 cases of LAVH were successfully performed without any conversion. Ninety-seven LAVHs were performed on 31 virgins and 66 nulliparae, while 200 LAVHs were performed on parous patients during the same study period. The uterine sizes in the virgin group were significantly larger than those in the other two groups. The operation times in the virgin and nullipara groups were significantly longer than those in the control group. The complication rates of LAVH in these three groups were 6.4%, 12.1% and 3% in the virgin, nulliparous and control groups respectively. The overall complication rate of this series was low at 5.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LAVH is feasible with acceptable safety in virgins and nulliparae in spite of their narrow and tight vaginas.
authors.affiliation: School of Women's and Children's Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Wu Shun Felix
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Tat Choi Eric
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chi Eung Danforn
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007045:Hysterectomy, Vaginal / Q000379:methods*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000601:surgery; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008595:Menorrhagia / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010298:Parity; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012746:Sexual Abstinence; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D014621:Vagina / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*