Laparoscopic-Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy Utilizing the Contact-Tip Nd:YAG Laser

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy utilizing the contact-tip Nd:YAG laser. We performed laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy on 37 patients with extensive disease including endometriosis, adhesions, and multiple fibroids. The procedures were performed utilizing the contact-tip Nd:YAG laser. The average surgery time for the laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy was 151 min. By postoperative day 14 patients reported 87% of normal activity levels with a pain level of only 1.7 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being maximum pain. Average time to recovery and ability to work was 2 weeks. Average hospital time was 63 hr. The laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy utilizing the contact-tip Nd:YAG laser is a safe, effective, and efficient manner for performing laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomies.