Laparoscopic hysterectomy : predictors of quality of surgery

Abstract

Although hospitals increasingly opt for the laparoscopic over the conventional approach and the decline in diagnostic procedures is well compensated by an increase in numbers of all types of therapeutic procedures, the implementation of laparoscopic hysterectomy in the Netherlands seems to be hampered and scattered (chapter 2). The majority of hospitals that apply laparoscopic hysterectomy perform only a minority of the total volume of procedures, whereas the minority of hospitals performs a high annual caseload of procedures. From our studies, preference and referral tendencies seem to be suboptimal, despite knowledge indication and advantages of this minimally invasive technique (chapter 4). Gynecologists employed in a hospital that did not perform laparoscopic hysterectomies were much less likely to refer candidates for this procedure, despite basic knowledge about the indication and limitations of the approach. Furthermore, patient related factors, such as body mass index and uterus weight, might play a role in this tendency. The level of experience (expressed in number of laparoscopic hysterectomies performed) did not significantly influence the laparoscopist__s opinion on body mass index, uterus weight and previous abdominal surgery as restrictive characteristics for the laparoscopic approach. Both, performers as well as referring colleagues regarded a high body mass index, big uterus weight and previous abdominal surgery as restricting parameters for the laparoscopic approach. This is worrisome, as we know that the majority of these __challenging__ patients have an uneventful procedure (85%) and especially since there is evidence that the obese patient is better served by a laparoscopic approach than by conventional abdominal surgery. Furthermore, it was shown that with growing popularity of this procedure (half of laparoscopic hysterectomy performing gynecologists had less than five years experience), a steady state of implementation of this advanced laparoscopic surgical procedure has yet not been reached. The Laparoscopic Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy (LAVH), a variant of laparoscopic hysterectomy, showed to be generally performed by inexperienced surgeons in low volume hospitals, while adverse events and blood loss were increased compared to Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy (chapter 3 and chapter 5). In our prospective study in 79 surgeons (the LapTop! study), we observed that the success of surgical outcomes was significantly influenced by uterus weight, body mass index, ASA classification and previous abdominal surgeries, next to the type of laparoscopic hysterectomy (chapter 5). Surgical experience also predicted the successful outcome of laparoscopic hysterectomy with respect to blood loss and adverse events. However, also an experience independent surgical skills factor was identified, representing a crucial determinant in measuring quality of surgery. This skills factor was also present in the probability of conversion to laparotomy in the same cohort (chapter 6). The majority of conversions were performed because of strategic considerations, while uncontrollable bleeding was the main adverse event leading to a reactive conversion. A high body mass index and increased uterus weight predicted conversion probability, while experience did not.vaginal and abdominal hysterectomy (chapter 7). Therefore, minimally invasive surgery is not necessarily minimally painful. However, patients in the minimally invasive group reported a steeper decline in pain scores postoperatively. Acquiring and maintaining skills in laparoscopic hysterectomy by mentorship showed to be effective, safe and durable, as indication, operative time and adverse event rates were comparable to those of the mentor in his own hospital during and after completing the mentorship program (chapter 8). Assessment of skills in advanced laparoscopic surgery is increasingly demanded. Prediction of surgical skills based on __in vitro__ box trainers outcomes was not conclusive as surgeons with suboptimal average clinical outcomes could not be indicated by means of a box trainer task (chapter 9). However, __real time__ risk-adjusted clinical monitoring of performance by means of cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis appeared to be a valuable tool in order to signal derailing performance in a timely fashion (chapter 10). This is paramount, as in laparoscopic hysterectomy no definitive accomplishment of the proficiency curve is foreseen and applying relevant predictors of quality of surgery should guard patient safety.