Comparison of the vault prolapse rate after vaginal hysterectomy with or without residual uterine ligament ligations: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the post-hysterectomy vault prolapse (PHVP) rates performed using different methods of vaginal total hysterectomy (VTH).

Methods: A total of 251 women who underwent VTH with/without concomitant surgeries between January 1986 and December 2001 in a tertiary center. Thirty-eight women were excluded due to not only a vaginal approach. Of the remaining 213 women, 129 and 84 underwent VTH via the Tsuzi method with residual uterine ligament ligations (ligations group) and traditional VTH (without ligations group), respectively. The χ² and Mann-Whitney U tests were applied appropriately. The cumulative percentages of women without PHVP were calculated over time and compared using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Compared to the without ligations group, women in the ligations group had longer operation time (115.9 ± 37.1 vs. 103.3 ± 41.4 min, p = 0.002) and more blood loss (217.4 ± 137.8 vs. 148.2 ± 149.0 mL, p < 0.001). When focusing on women with uterine prolapse, only operation time and grade of uterine prolapse were different between the groups (117.3 ± 24.8 vs. 107.9 ± 40.5 min, p = 0.025, and 21% vs. 41%, p = 0.018, respectively). The rate of PHVP was significantly lower in the ligation group than in the without ligations group (0 vs. 5, p = 0.005).

Conclusion: VTH via the Tsuzi method with residual uterine ligament ligations resulted in fewer cases of PHVP than occurred in traditional VTH. If native tissue repair is planned in pelvic reconstruction surgery, VTH with residual uterine ligament ligations should be considered.

Keywords: Pelvic organ prolapse; Vaginal hysterectomy; Vaginal vault prolapse.