Vaginal hysterectomies performed in a residency program: can we increase the number?
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if a concerted effort to increase the number of vaginal hysterectomies performed in a residency program could be accomplished safely when a standard approach vs. a concerted effort was utilized. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective case review was performed for all patients undergoing vaginal hysterectomy at 1 hospital in a residency program. At Denver Health Medical Center, the Gynecology Division made a concerted effort to increase the number of vaginal hysterectomies performed. All hysterectomies from July 1998 to December 2003 were reviewed retrospectively. Abstracted data included age, race, parity, primary diagnosis, past medical history, past surgical history, history of pelvic inflammatory disease/sexually transmitted disease, removal of ovaries, conversion to an abdominal procedure, complications, length of hospital stay, and change in hematocrit. RESULTS: Over 1,029 hysterectomies were performed during the study period. In the first 3 years, 190 vaginal hyster
