Is laparoscopic surgery safe in women over 70 years old with benign gynecological disease?

Aim: To evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of laparoscopic surgery for benign gynecological disease in women over 70 years old.

Materials and methods: Fifty-four women over 70 years old underwent surgery for benign gynecological disease from January 2003 to December 2009. Each woman was matched with two subjects of 30-50 years old in the younger group; the matching with patients undergoing a similar surgical technique was retrospective from December 2009. We evaluated body mass index, comorbidities, number of previous abdominal surgeries, operating time, hemoglobin change, postoperative complications, hospital stay, and return of bowel activity. The χ² -test and t-test were used to compare the results of the elderly group and the younger group.

Results: There were no significant differences between the elderly group (over 70 years old) and a matched younger group (aged 30-50 years old) in body mass index, number of previous abdominal surgeries, operating time, hospital stay, and postoperative complications.

Conclusion: Laparoscopic surgery in elderly women for benign gynecological disease is feasible, efficient, and safe. However, a large prospective randomized study is needed to confirm the conclusion.