Differences in the Morbidity of Radical Hysterectomy between Gynecological Oncologists

Abstract A multivariate analysis was performed on 405 patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy by eight surgeons for stage IB cervical carcinoma, to determine the influence of primary surgeon on morbidity. Patient characteristics analyzed (mean/proportion) were age (41 years), quetelet index (25.4), American Society of Anesthesiologists classification of physical status (0.5% >2), previous laparotomies (23%), previous radiation (0.7%), prophylactic antibiotics (95%), prophylactic heparin (67%), tumor size (1.0 cm), histology (68% SCC), grade (68% grades 2 or 3), vascular space involvement (45%), pelvic lymph node metastases (6%), and depth of invasion (6.6 mm). Morbidity characteristics analyzed (mean/proportion) were blood loss (910 ml), operative time (3.0 hr), intra-op complications (5%), post-op infectious (21%) and non-infectious complications (7%), transfusions (35%), post-op hospital stay (9.9 days), time to normal urine residual (9.0 days), and bladder dysfunction at 3 months post-op (21%). Mean tumor size was the only preoperative characteristic that was significantly different among surgeons ( P P P P P P P P P P P