THE OUTPATIENT VAGINAL HYSTERECTOMY

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study is to report on our initial experience with the performance of vaginal hysterectomy on an outpatient basis. STUDY DESIGN: Between January 1990 and February 1992 10 patients underwent vaginal hysterectomies in a freestanding outpatient surgery center. All patients were discharged the same day within 8 hours of the starting time of surgery. Patients ranged in age from 32 to 52 years and had no major medical problems. Concomitant salpingo-oophorectomies, enterocele repairs, or both were also performed on 8 of the 10 patients. RESULTS: All patients had benign diseases, and the uteri weighed between 75 and 142 gm. There were no intraoperative complications, and 9 of the 10 patients had an uneventful postoperative course. Although postoperative pain control was not a problem, there was some degree of postoperative nausea during the first 24 hours associated with the use of various oral and transcutaneous analgesics. Nonetheless, all 10 patients were pleased with their surgical experience. CONCLUSION: This small pilot study adds to the growing body of literature that demonstrates the safety and feasibility of performing vaginal hysterectomy (together with certain concomitant procedures) in an outpatient setting.