First experiences from laparoscopically assisted hysterectomy in Finland in 1992.

The first laparoscopic hysterectomy in Finland was performed in September 1992. We report the experiences of the first eleven patients operated in the Turku and Helsinki University Central Hospitals in 1992. The hospital stay (mean 2.6 days) and the sick leave (mean 2 weeks) were markedly shorter than those of conventional open surgery for uterine removal but the operation time was longer (mean 3.4 hours). One patient needed postoperative blood transfusion due to hemorrhage and one needed secondary surgical intervention due to bladder perforation unresponsive to conservative treatment. We look forward to more extensive use of this new technic as a competitive alternative to simple hysterectomy.