Laparoscopic Hysterctomy Procedure

The laparoscopic route, performed through three to four small skin incisions, is a safe and effective alternative method to abdominal surgery when performed in the hands of surgeons trained in laparoscopic surgery. The route of surgery is often determined by the indication for hysterectomy, the severity of the pathology, and the surgical skills and experience of the surgeon. While it is natural for most women to go for the least invasive method, ultimately, you should discuss with your doctor who will advise and choose the safest route for your hysterectomy.

Laparoscopic Hysterectomy Complications

There are risks of all hysterectomy procedures that aren’t specific to the surgical approach. (Click on YOUR RISKS on the left to review) In general, studies show that minimally invasive surgery are not more risky and actually have less blood loss and infections than an open approach.

There are some potential risks and complications which are specific to laparoscopic hysterectomy:

Injury to abdominal wall – bleeding, port site hernia.

Conversion to open surgery – in case of unexpected complications or findings such as malignancy.

Bladder or Ureteric injury – There is some concern that these may be more common in laparoscopic as compared to abdominal surgery. More recent data does not show an increased risk of urinary track injury for laparoscopic procedures over abdominal and vaginal procedures. This is probably because surgeons are becoming experienced in minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques.