Objective: The aim of this study was to compare outcomes of vaginal hysterectomy between patients with and without the following perceived contraindications to vaginal surgery: uterine weight greater than 280 g, prior cesarean delivery, no vaginal parity, and obesity.
Methods: Retrospective cohort of benign vaginal hysterectomies between 2009 and 2013 was obtained. Outcomes included uterine debulking, transfusion, intraoperative complications, length of stay, and Accordion grade 2+ postoperative complications. For each outcome, the association between the presence of each contraindication and the outcome was evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.
Results: Among 692 vaginal hysterectomies, 11% (76/691) had a uterine weight greater than 280 g, 11.3% (78/690) had no vaginal parity, 14.9% (103/690) had a history of cesarean delivery, and 37.7% (248/657) had a body mass index of 30 kg/m or greater; 110 (15.9%) had 2 or more contraindications. Uterine debulking occurred in 146 women (21.1%), and both uterine weight greater 280 g (adjusted odds ratio, 39.2; 95% confidence interval, 18.4-83.5) and prior cesarean delivery (adjusted odds ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-3.7) were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of uterine debulking after adjusting for age, hematologic disease, and preoperative diagnosis. None of the contraindications were significantly associated with need for a blood transfusion, presence of an intraoperative complication, length of stay greater than 2 days, or presence of an Accordion grade 2+ postoperative complication, which occurred in 2.7%, 2.5%, 14.0%, and 6.9% of all women, respectively.
Conclusions: Vaginal hysterectomy can be safely performed with favorable outcomes, even in women with a uterus greater than 280 g, prior cesarean delivery, no vaginal parity, and obesity. Our findings challenge several perceived contraindications to vaginal hysterectomy.