FEMORAL NERVE PALSY AS A COMPLICATION OF VAGINAL HYSTERECTOMY - REVIEW OF THE WORLD LITERATURE

A review of the world literature revealed 33 cases of femoral nerve palsy, and we are reporting 3 new cases, for a total of 36 cases of femoral nerve palsy complicating vaginal hysterectomy. This rare event following vaginal surgery may have a number of precipitating causes, both medical and positional. Certainly, the patient should be evaluated for diabetes if the routine blood sugars are slightly elevated. Intraoperative precautions to avoid compression of the femoral nerve at the inguinal ligament are suggested and would seem to be a prudent addition to our management of patients undergoing a vaginal operative procedure.