title: Feasibility and perioperative morbidity of minilaparoscopic hysterectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the feasibility and perioperative morbidity of minilaparoscopy compared to conventional laparoscopy (CL) in patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 04/2012 and 04/2013, 31 patients were prospectively enrolled to undergo hysterectomy via minilaparoscopy with 3.5-mm instruments. A cohort of 108 matched patients who underwent hysterectomy via CL performed by the same surgeon between 08/2011 and 12/2012 served as the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no statistically significant differences concerning duration of surgery, overall hospital stay and perioperative haemoglobin drop between groups. However, in the study group, the registered blood loss via suction tube was higher (p-value=0.0216) and in two women, intraoperative complications occurred in the form of thermal damage of the ureter via bipolar coagulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hysterectomy via minilaparoscopy is a feasible laparoscopic approach. Nevertheless, the use of minilaparoscopy should be considered carefully as the reduced diameter of the instruments might impede certain surgical procedures, such as vessel sealing.
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Mannheim; Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167 Mannheim, Germany. sebastian.berlit@umm.de.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berlit
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tuschy
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brade
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sütterlin
authors.forename: Amadeus
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hornemann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Laparoscopic hysterectomy; minilaparoscopy; surgical outcome