Complications of gynecologic laparoscopy

Study Objective. To examine the frequency of gynecologic laparoscopy complications from January 1996 to June 1996. Design. Prospective review (Canadian Task Force classification II-1). Setting. Tertiary center teaching hospital with 607 beds. Patients. Two hundred thirty-four patients (age 15-70 yrs). Interventions. Gynecologic laparoscopy. Measurements and Main Results. The overall number of complications was 23 (9.8%). They were principally infection, extraperitoneal insufflation, and injury to blood vessels. Complication rates were examined by service (private, clinic, staff) and by type of laparoscopy (operative, diagnostic, laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy). Of 11 (47.8%) complications that occurred during laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy, 5 involved postoperative infection. Conclusion. The complication rate in this review was similar to that published in the literature, with the exception of ileus and infection, which occurred at higher rates in our institution.