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Despite 10 years of intensive education and training in Australia only around 14% of hysterectomies are performed with laparoscopic assistance. In particular total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) has a poor penetration rate because of perceived technical difficulties that include instrumentation, prolonged operating times and an increase in complications. We present a series of 200 consecutive cases of TLH with very good results and propose that because of the many advantages that this technique offers that it should become the standard procedure for benign uterine disease.

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The lower-limb venous return, assessed by the peak systolic venous velocities (PSVV) of the left common femoral vein, was recorded at different stages of operation for five patients undergoing major gynecologic operative laparoscopy. The average baseline PSVV was 23.1 cm/s. After positioning the patient in the Trendelenburg position, the PSVV increased to an average of 31.5 cm/s; this was a statistically significant increase. Creation of the pneumoperitoneum changed the waveform from a normal phasic pattern to a dampened, continuous, monophasic waveform. The average PSVV was reduced to 15.9 cm/s; this dampening was statistically significant. Further dampening was evident 1 hour intraoperatively, and the flow became intermittent, with cycles of dampened flow followed by periods of absent flow; these changes in PSVV were not statistically significant. Calf compressors did not increase the femoral PSVV at the beginning of operation, nor at I hour intraoperatively; the decrease was not statistically significant. After release of the pneumoperitoneum, the baseline waveform pattern and velocity returned. The Trendelenburg position used for gynecologic operative laparoscopy was associated with a statistically significant increase in the lower-limb PSVV. This increase did not fully counteract the dampening effect of a pneumoperitoneum on lower-limb PSVV. The authors' study did not support the benefit previously reported on the use of pneumatic calf compressors. The authors therefore recommend continuing the practice of antithrombotic measures for patients undergoing gynecologic operative laparoscopy.

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We assessed the feasibility of safe discharge home within 24 hours following laparoscopic hysterectomy in 30 patients who met the inclusion criteria and consented to be enrolled in the study group. Patients were admitted on the day of their surgery with the expectation of discharge within 24 hours. Appropriate home nursing follow-up and phone contact by the surgical team were organized preoperatively. Inclusion criteria were: age 30-65 years, absence of any major medical history that would require prolonged hospitalization, availability of home support for the first 48 hours after discharge and presence of a working telephone line and an address within the area of the Community Home Nursing service. All 30 operative procedures were completed without incident. Six patients underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) (all the procedures of hysterectomy being performed laparoscopically including the suturing of uterine arteries, colpotomy and closure of the vaginal vault. The uterus was removed vaginally) and 24 patients underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) (this techniques differs from TLH in that the colpotomy was performed laparoscopically but the uterosacral ligaments were divided vaginally and the vault also was closed vaginally after the uterus was removed vaginally). The average operating time was 115 minutes (range 85-150 minutes) and the average blood loss was 97 mL (20-250 mL). There were no intraoperative complications, no requirement for transfusion and no readmission to hospital for any of the patients in the study. Postoperative complications were minor (umbilical cellulitis (1), intestinal colic (1)) and both were treated with resolution of the symptoms. Ninety per cent of patients in the study were discharged within 24 hours of their surgery, the average duration of stay being 22.9 hours (20-24 hours). Three patients were not fit for discharge at 24 hours postoperatively due to general lethargy, migraine and nausea; their average discharge time was 53.5 hours. The study showed that laparoscopic hysterectomy can be associated with a reduction in length of in-patient stay compared to traditional laparotomy. Furthermore this reduction could be safely reduced to 24 hours following laparoscopic hysterectomy. There was also an associated cost saving in terms of inpatient bed days. Patient satisfaction with this protocol was high in this selected and motivated group.

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Whilst laparoscopic surgery has largely replaced laparotomy as the standard surgical option for the management of benign ovarian cysts, concern remains regarding the safety of laparoscopy for benign cystic teratomas. This is based on a higher rate of cyst content spillage compared to laparotomy and the known sequelae of chemical peritonitis and granuloma formation. We present 18 cases of laparoscopic dermoid cystectomy with recommendations for specimen removal from the peritoneal cavity. Our findings together with evidence from the literature confirms the safety of laparoscopy for the treatment of ovarian dermoid cysts.

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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To compare the use of patient-controlled analgesia to intermittent intramuscular injections of morphine following major gynecological laparoscopic procedures in order to assess differences in level of pain, sedation, episodes of nausea and/or vomiting, hospitalization time and patient satisfaction with their postoperative analgesia. METHODS: Seventy-two patients undergoing major gynecological laparoscopic surgery were randomized to receive either postoperative analgesia via intermittent intramuscular injection of morphine (Group 1) or patient controlled analgesia (PCA-Group 2). All patients received anesthesia via a standardized protocol. Postoperative pain levels were recorded via a 10 cm visual analogue scale, and sedation scores were recorded on a standard PCA form. Episodes of nausea and vomiting were also recorded on the same form. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between intramuscular analgesia and PCA for any of the factors studied. Most significantly it was found that most patients ceased to require either form of parenteral analgesia within 24 hours of their procedure, regardless of the operating time. CONCLUSION: It is important for the surgeon to be aware of the effects of postoperative analgesia on his or her patients' level of satisfaction. We do not recommend the use of PCA analgesia following major laparoscopic gynecological surgery.

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STUDY OBJECTIVE: To discern the best method of wound closure after laparoscopy based on patient acceptability of pain, complications, and cosmetic result. DESIGN: Randomized, prospective study. SETTING: A university-affiliated hospital. PATIENTS: Fifty-four women. Interventions. The women received interrupted 3-0 nylon sutures, subcuticular 3-0 polyglactin 910 sutures, or adhesive strips for skin closure. At the umbilical port site the rectus sheath was closed with a single 0 polyglactin suture and then one of the three materials for skin closure. The lateral ports were closed with a combination of these materials, allowing each patient to act as her own control. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Pain was significantly less in wounds closed by subcuticular technique than in those closed by either transcutaneous suture or adhesive strips. This was seen for the 5-mm, 10-mm, and umbilical port sites. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of reported complications or patient satisfaction between subcuticular and transcutaneous wound sites. CONCLUSION: We believe these results support subcuticular methods of wound closure after laparoscopic procedures.

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The objective of this study was to determine whether urinary endothelin (ET) excretion is altered in pregnant women with preeclampsia or essential hypertension compared with normal pregnant and nonpregnant women, and whether urinary ET excretion is significantly related to glomerular filtration rate (GFR), blood pressure, or sodium excretion in hypertensive pregnant women. Subjects included 85 hypertensive women in their third trimester (32 with severe preeclampsia, 37 with mild preeclampsia [some of whom may be classified as having "transient (gestational) hypertension" by other classifications], and 16 with essential hypertension), 42 normal third-trimester pregnant women, and 26 normal nonpregnant women. Twenty-four-hour urine ET and creatinine excretion were measured in all women. ET was extracted from urine and measured by radioimmunoassay. Plasma creatinine, serum uric acid and albumin concentrations, and urine protein and sodium excretion were also measured. Twenty-four-hour ET excretion was significantly higher (P < .01) in normal pregnant women (14.7 [9.1 to 20.1] pmol/day; median [interquartile range]) than in nonpregnant women (8.4 [6.4 to 15.2] pmol/day) and was reduced significantly (P < .01) in hypertensive pregnant women (severe preeclampsia: 9.0 [5.5 to 12.4] pmol/day; mild preeclampsia: 7.2 [5.7 to 9.9] pmol/day; essential hypertension: 7.5 [6.4 to 9.4] pmol/day) compared to values for normal pregnant women. Twenty-four-hour urine ET excretion in hypertensive pregnant women was correlated positively but weakly with both creatinine clearance (r = 0.31, P < .01) and urine sodium excretion (r = 0.34, P < .01). Urinary ET excretion is increased in normal pregnancy and reduced from these values in pregnancies complicated with preeclampsia or essential hypertension.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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1. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the 24 h urinary albumin excretory rate was increased in the third trimester of normal pregnancy or in pregnant women with hypertension who had 24 h urinary total protein excretion within the normal range. 2. Twenty-four hour urinary creatinine and albumin excretions were determined prospectively in 26 non-pregnant and 115 pregnant women in their third trimester (40 in normal pregnancy, 38 with mild pre-eclampsia, 20 with severe pre-eclampsia, 17 with essential hypertension) in whom urinary total protein excretion was normal. Both the urinary albumin excretion rate and the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio were compared among the groups. The clearance of albumin relative to that of creatinine was also calculated in the hypertensive women and in 14 of the non-pregnant women and nine of the normal pregnant women. 3. The twenty-four hour urinary albumin excretion rate was similar in non-pregnant [8(5-10) mg/day; median (interquartile range)] and normal pregnant [7(6-10) mg/day] women. Women with essential hypertension [6(4-16) mg/day] and mild pre-eclampsia [7(4-10) mg/day] had a urinary albumin excretion rate similar to that of normal pregnant women. Women with severe pre-eclampsia had an urinary albumin excretion rate increased [13(7-32) mg/day] compared with other groups (P < 0.05). The clearance of albumin relative to that of creatinine was elevated significantly only in women with severe pre-eclampsia compared with normal pregnant women (0.00054 versus 0.00012; P < 0.05). Blood pressures were similar among all hypertensive groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Pelvic floor function has been studied in 27 women with symptomatic utero-vaginal prolapse and 15 age-matched control subjects. There was no evidence in the patients on physiological testing of significant denervation of the pelvic floor muscles, with no significant difference in the maximum resting and squeeze anal pressures, the pudendal nerve terminal motor latency or external anal sphincter fibre density on single fibre electromyography between the groups. However, those patients with a small rectocele (less than 2 cm) had a significantly higher fibre density than the group with a large rectocele (p = 0.03) and the control group (p less than 0.001). Six of eight patients with a small rectocele had increased fibre density compared with 3/19 with a large rectocele (p = 0.006) and 2/15 control subjects (p = 0.006). This was independent of age, obstetric factors and the presence of internal rectal prolapse. These findings suggest that patients with symptomatic utero-vaginal prolapse and small rectoceles have pelvic nerve damage, and development of a large rectocele may provide some protection against perineal descent and pudendal neuropathy, although the number of patients in the small rectocele group was small and confirmation from further similar studies is required.

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Severe pregnancy-induced hypertension and markedly elevated levels of serum alkaline phosphatase developed in a 29-year-old-woman in whom one pregnancy resulted in intrauterine death. Acute fatty liver of pregnancy developed with good fetal outcome in the next pregnancy. This case suggests that pregnancy-induced hypertension and acute fatty liver of pregnancy are part of a clinical spectrum. Moreover, classic abnormalities of liver function tests need not be present in acute fatty liver of pregnancy.

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A deficiency in the synthesis of human placental lactogen (hPL) was found in a woman in her second pregnancy. Other placental hormone levels were normal. The woman gave birth to a healthy female infant. hPL deficiency is rare and a survey of the literature has revealed only one previous case report which described the birth of a male infant. The present report of a hPL deficiency is the first associated with the birth of a normal female infant.

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