title: Effects of electrosurgery and vaginal closure technique on postoperative vaginal cuff dehiscence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study is to evaluate the role of electrosurgery and vaginal closure technique in the development of postoperative vaginal cuff dehiscence.
  
  
  METHODS
  From prospective surgical databases, we identified 463 patients who underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) for benign disease and 147 patients who underwent laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) for cancer. All TLHs and LAVHs were performed entirely by use of electrosurgery, including colpotomy. Colpotomy in the TLH group was performed with Harmonic Ace Curved Shears (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Cincinnati, OH, USA), and in the LAVH group, it was performed with a monopolar electrosurgical pencil. The main surgical difference was vaginal cuff closure--laparoscopically in the TLH group and vaginally in the LAVH group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although patients in the LAVH group were at increased risk for poor healing (significantly older, higher body mass index, more medical comorbidities, higher blood loss, and longer operative time), there were no vaginal cuff dehiscences in the LAVH group compared with 17 vaginal cuff dehiscences (4%) in the TLH group (P = .02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It does not appear that the increased vaginal cuff dehiscence rate associated with TLH is due to electrosurgery; rather, it is due to the vaginal closure technique.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Pennsylvania State University, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Dr, Room C-3620, Hershey, PA 17033, USA. jfanning1@hmc.psu.edu.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fanning
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kesterson
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Janis
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Lindsey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Penezic
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Harkins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020884:Colpotomy; D004598:Electrosurgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007045:Hysterectomy, Vaginal / Q000379:methods*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014621:Vagina / Q000601:surgery*
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