Prevalence of Hysterectomy among Gynecological Surgeries in a Tertiary Care Hospital

INTRODUCTION: Hysterectomy is the most common gynecological procedure. Over the last decade, the minimally invasive approach has been practiced more frequently. Fibroid uterus being the most common indication for hysterectomy justifies this minimal approach, however, whenever feasible, vaginal hysterectomy can be the preferred route. The objective of this study was to find out the prevalence and indication of hysterectomy among major gynecological surgeries in a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done at a tertiary care hospital among 1912 patients who had major gynecological surgeries from January 2017 to December 2019. Ethical clearance was obtained from the institutional review committee (ref. no. ACD 935/076/077). Convenient sampling was used. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21.0. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. RESULTS: During the study period, there were 1,912 major gynecological surgeries and the prevalence of hysterectomy was 1,131 (59.15%) (56.94-61.35 at 95% Confidence Interval). Fibroid uterus was the most common clinical indication for hysterectomy which was done in 397 (35.10%) patients, followed by uterovaginal prolapse in 254 (22.46) patients, adnexal mass in 210 (18.56%), and abnormal uterine bleeding in 117 (10.34%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Hysterectomy, being the most common gynecological surgery, selection of the most appropriate route is of paramount importance. As for any other surgery, it is not without complication and hysterectomy should always be justified. With the advancement in the conservative approaches, these organ-preserving options should be explored rigorously before opting for hysterectomy.