ABSTRACT
It is estimated that about 600 000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the USA, with the most common indications being uterine fibroids and abnormal uterine bleeding.
The purpose of the procedure is to reduce the morbidity that occurs with laparotomy. There are several types of laparoscopic hysterectomy. In 1982, Semm introduced laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH), where laparoscopy is used to visualize the abdomen, to remove adhesions, or to develop surgical planes followed by vaginal hysterectomy. In 1989, Reich first reported hysterectomy performed by laparoscopy. When the cervix is left in situ, it becomes a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LASH). A modification of LASH is classic intrafascial supracervical hysterectomy (CISH), where the endocervical canal is cored and removed. The latter is not widely performed.
