Initial experience with vNOTES hysterectomy for benign conditions in a French university hospital

BACKGROUND: Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery by the vaginal route (vNOTES) is a new approach to performing hysterectomy. Clinical outcomes must be evaluated in centres that have started performing this technique. OBJECTIVES: To compare operative outcomes between vNOTES hysterectomy and laparoscopic hysterectomy during the introduction of the vNOTES approach in a teaching hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted from November 2019 to May 2021 at a French academic hospital in Marseille. The included patients underwent total hysterectomy for benign indications by vNOTES or conventional laparoscopy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Operative time, uterus weight, intraoperative complications, and postoperative complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. RESULTS: Eighty-six patients underwent hysterectomy according to the selected criteria: 36 procedures were performed by vNOTES and 50 by laparoscopy. The mean operative time was shorter in the vNOTES group than in the laparoscopy group [116 min versus 149 min; p=0.003]. The mean uterus weight was not different between the vNOTES group and the laparoscopy group (238g versus 281g; p=0.572). Laparo-conversion occurred in one case in the vNOTES group (2.7%) and three cases in the laparoscopy group (3.4%). One Grade III postoperative complication occurred in the laparoscopy group, and no severe complication occurred in the vNOTES group. CONCLUSION: Operative outcomes of the vNOTES hysterectomy were favourable and support good feasibility without additional morbidity compared to laparoscopy. WHAT IS NEW? During the introduction period of the vNOTES hysterectomy technique in a teaching hospital, reassuring operative outcomes and a low rate of complications were observed.