Day Care Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy: Make it a Habit

Juhul Patel, Vinutha Arunachalam

Abstract: Day care Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy (TLH) could lead to significant cost savings, but some fear the effects of what could be premature postsurgical discharge. We sought to estimate the safety of TLH as a day care procedure for benign gynecologic conditions. We report a prospective, consecutive case series of 500 day care TLHs performed for benign gynecologic conditions. All 500 were discharged home the day of their surgery. Readmission rate was Zero. Indications for hysterectomy were mainly leiomyomas (58 %), menorrhagia (28 %), and pelvic pain (9 %). Mean estimated blood loss was 60 mL and mean uterus weight was 240 g, with the heaviest uterus weighing 1.2 kg. At 3 months, unplanned consultation, complication, and readmission had occurred in 0.8 %, 0 %, and 0 %, respectively. Same-day discharge is a feasible and safe option for carefully selected patients who undergo an uncomplicated TLH.

Keywords: Daycare surgical procedure, Hysterectomy, Laparoscopy, Safety