Vaginal Cuff Closure in Robotic Hysterectomy

Robotic assisted laparoscopic surgery is the fastest growing new modality in gynecologic surgery. Surgeons are adapting it to perform both benign and oncologic gynecologic procedures. Therefore, the fastest growing robotic procedure in the united states is hysterectomy.

The literature in laparoscopic hysterectomy, both robotic and non-robotic, reports a complication of vaginal closure disruption after hysterectomy higher than with abdominal surgery. Reasons hypothesized for this phenomenon include colpotomy (vaginal incision) technique, vaginal closure technique, and types of suture. At present, no further follow up studies have been done to test some of these hypothesis. In light of the rapid adoption of this approach to hysterectomy, more data on this issue will help the physician in counseling patients regarding complications, as well as helping surgeons choose materials and techniques in their hysterectomies which will diminish the chance for this unfortunate complication, which causes pain, hospitalization and excess morbidity after the original surgery.

Additionally, a parallel development of newer suturing materials, the so-called "barbed" self-anchoring sutures, typically fabricated from monofilament materials, have been reported used in laparoscopic hysterectomies in case series. The relative contribution of theses newer materials to the rates of cuff disruption is unknown.

The protocol proposes testing the null hypothesis that different suture materials and methods of closure do not cause a significant difference in the rates of vaginal cuff disruption after robotic assisted laparoscopic total hysterectomy.

Study design is a prospective randomized controlled trial. Patients will be blindly randomized to one of the 3 closure techniques using 3 different materials. Technique and material by necessity can not be blinded to the surgeon. Otherwise, standard surgical technique will be used. Followup in 2 and 6 weeks for clinical assessment will be performed. To asses the long term of cuff disruption, a 12 month interview will be also conducted. Data points will include operative time for closure, postoperative pain at 2 and 6 weeks, postoperative pain with urination/voiding at 2 and 6 weeks, spotting, bleeding and /or frank vaginal disruption documented at 2 and 6 weeks, and pain and presence of dyspareunia at 12 months will be assessed.