Sammanfattning
Introduction: An enlarged uterus is often considered to be a contraindication to vaginal hysterectomy. We compared the surgical outcomes of women undergoing vaginal hysterectomy who had a normal-sized uterus to the outcomes of those with an enlarged uterus. Materials and methods: Women undergoing vaginal hysterectomy with a non-descended uterus without any malignancy at the Central Hospitals in Silkeborg, Herning and Holstebro, Denmark, from October 1, 1997, to March 1, 2003, were registered in a regional database. We compared the data of women with a uterus weighing less than 300 g to those of women with a uterus weighing more than 300 g. Results: A total of 2,909 hysterectomies was registered; 694 of these were included in our study. There were 94 women with a uterus weighing more than 300 g. Operation time was significantly longer for the women with an enlarged uterus, while the rate of major surgical complications and the length of hospital stay were similar in the two groups. The risk of having to convert the operation into an abdominal hysterectomy was significantly higher for the women with an enlarged uterus. Discussion: We found no difference in the rate of major surgical complications in women with a uterus weighing less than 300 g compared to those with a uterus weighing more than 300 g. However, we found a higher risk of having to convert the operation into an abdominal hysterectomy among those with an enlarged uterus. We conclude that a uterus weighing more than 300 g should not be considered a contraindication to vaginal hysterectomy.