Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: Infectious complications of hysterectomy remain common despite the use of antibiotic. The usual existing methods of preoperative antisepsis do not control the vaginal bacteria that are the primary cause of contamination at the surgical site. Our goal was to assess whether febrile morbidity after total abdominal hysterectomy is decreased by the addition of povidone-iodine gel at the vaginal apex after the routine vaginal preparation with povidone-iodine solution.

Methods: We carried out a prospective randomized trial on women admitted for elective abdominal hysterectomy. Inclusion criteria included planned abdominal hysterectomy for benign or malignant gynecologic conditions. Exclusion criteria consisted of emergency surgery, current treatment for pelvic infection, and known povidone-iodine allergy. A total of 168 patients were randomized to either the control group or the intervention group, who received 20 cc povidone-iodine gel placed at the vaginal apex immediately before the operation. Both groups received the routine preoperative preparation of antimicrobial prophylaxis, abdominal and vaginal scrubbing with povidone-iodine solution prior to the operation. The primary outcome was post-operative febrile morbidity. Other outcomes included abdominal wound infection, vaginal cuff cellulitis or pelvic abscess. Data was analyzed using Fisher's exact test. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The overall rate of febrile morbidity was 20.5%. Febrile morbidity occurred in ten of 80 (12.5%) women receiving the povidone-iodine gel preparation and 24 of 86 (27.9%) women not receiving the gel (p<0.05). The rate of abdominal wound infection was 18.6% (16) in the control group, and 5% (4) in the gel group (p<0.05). Vaginal cuff cellulitis was seen in three patients from the control group versus one woman from the gel group (p>0.05). Pelvic abscess was diagnosed in one patient from the control group and in no patients from the gel group (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Preoperative vaginal povidone-iodine gel is an effective technique for reducing febrile morbidity and the risk of abdominal wound infection after hysterectomy.

Background: Abdominal hysterectomy is one of the therapeutic options in treatment of gynecologic diseases. The most common methods are total and subtotal abdominal hysterectomy. The effect of hysterectomy on sexuality is not fully understood and, until recently, total and subtotal abdominal hysterectomies have been compared only in observational studies. In this study, we compare total vs. subtotal abdominal hysterectomy in terms of surgical complications and postoperative sexual function of patients.

Methods: In a single-blinded randomized clinical trial, we enrolled 25 patients who underwent subtotal abdominal hysterectomy (STAH), and 25 patients who underwent total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH). All patients were followed for 24 months after surgery. Three, six, 12 and 24 months after the procedures, all variables were compared between these two groups.

Results: The duration of operation (p=0.007), volume of bleeding (p=0.0007) and duration of hospital stay after surgery (p=0.03) were less in the STAH group than the TAH group. No complications were experienced during the operation, nor excessive post-operative pain or infection for either group. No significant differences were seen between the two groups with regard to dyspareunia, sexual satisfaction of the patients and their partners were. Spot bleeding in the STAH group was significantly more frequent than in the TAH group.

Conclusion: TAH and STAH do not have significantly different outcomes with regard to sexual satisfaction and function and surgical complications.

Background: Carcinoma of the uterine cervix is the sixth most common malignant neoplasm in women. Early stage diagnosis of uterine cervix carcinoma increases the cure rate of disease. Radiotherapy, with or without concurrent chemotherapy, is one of the most effective treatment modality in cervical carcinoma. After radiotherapy, accurate and regular follow-up results in early diagnosis and effective treatment of recurrence. The aim of this study is the assessment of the pathologic characteristics, setting and indications for postoperative radiotherapy and outcome of patients at the last follow-up.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we evaluated 346 cases of cervical carcinoma had received radiotherapy in radiation oncology department of the Cancer Institute of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from 1995 to 2001.

Results: The age of the study group ranged from 26 to 78 years (mean=50.5, SD=11). Of these patients, 30.4% were in the early stage and 69.6% had advanced stage disease. Squamous cell carcinoma comprised 92.2% of the cases and 6.4% adenocarcinoma. Radical radiotherapy was the most frequent radiotherapy setting and adjuvant radiotherapy (post-op) was the second. A considerable number of patients did not come back for follow-up, and 43.7% were followed for a short time.

Conclusion: Accurate presurgical clinical staging and surgical treatment by an expert gynecologic oncologist can reduce expose the patients to risks of two modality treatments (surgery and radiotherapy). According to our results, patients do not pay enough attention to disease follow-up. An acceptable training plan with emphasis on regular follow-up, is recommended.

Background: Over the past 50 years, subtotal or supracervical hysterectomy has come to be viewed as a suboptimal procedure reserved for those rare instances in which when concern over blood loss or anatomic distortion dictates limiting the extent of dissection, the aim of this study was to compare total and subtotal laparoscopic hysterectomy.
Methods: The patients who were candidates for hysterectomy with benign disease, with no contraindication for laparoscopic surgery entered the study in Arash Hospital, from March 2007 to April 2009. By simple randomization 45 patients (25 for TLH and 20 for SLH) were selected. Demographic Details and intra and post operative complications, were recorded by the staff and were compared between two groups.
Results: The average time for TLH operations look significantly longer than SLH operation (148.6±29.7 minutes 128.5±25.64 minutes, p=0.03). Although, the hemoglobin (gr/dl) drop in TLH was significantly higher than SLH (1.54 Versus 0.9, p<0.05) Blood transfusion were common in SLH (1 case Versus 3 Cases). The total length of hospital stay, was significantly shorter after SLH than TLH (3.6±1.47 day and 2.85±0.59, p=0.04). The drug requirements to control pain during hospitalization after both surgeries with analgesic injection were not significantly different, but with suppositories analgesic in SLH more than TLH. The time of return to normal activity was reported (p<0.0001) significantly shorter after SLH than TLH (13.12±18.1 and 5.04±1.79, p=0.0001). Sexual function had no significant difference between two groups but dysparunia in SLH was significantly lower than TLH (p=0.02). Cyclic bleeding and cervical prolaps, was not reported in two groups. Finally intra and post operative complications were more frequent in TLH.
Conclusions: SLH is a safe and effective surgery. Our data suggest that SLH can replace TLH in selected cases.