Abstract
BACKGROUND: Regardless of the technique used, extraction of the uterus is a crucial step in hysterectomy. There is currently no scoring system to predict its feasibility. OBJECTIVES: Our main objective was to determine a predictive score of uterine extraction feasibility to optimise surgical planning of total hysterectomy. As secondary objectives, we examined the correlation between uterine volume predicted by preoperative ultrasound and the final weight of the surgical specimen and analysed the impact of the uterine extraction modality on operative and hospitalisation times. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We defined a Uterine Extraction Score (UES) based on the ratio between uterine sizes and vaginal access. This score was retrospectively applied to a cohort of 178 patients who were hysterectomised for benign conditions between January 2019 and December 2022. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The UES allows identification of three groups of decreasing feasibility of vaginal extraction, symbolised by traffic light colours: green - vaginal extraction without morcellation, orange -vaginal extraction with morcellation, red - abdominal morcellation by mini-laparotomy or primary laparotomy. RESULTS: The results show that the UES--predicted, and the observed routes of extraction concord in 92% of cases. There is a strong correlation between estimated volume and final uterine weight. Uterine morcellation lengthens the operative time and the hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: The UES seems to be a reliable tool to predict the route of uterine extraction in total hysterectomy. WHAT IS NEW? The development of a new scoring system empowers surgeons with decisive information to enhance perioperative outcomes.