Natural Orifice Non-Descent Hysterectomy - Revisiting Fading Surgical Art

BACKGROUND We wanted to assess the feasibility of natural orifice non-descent hysterectomy (NONH) for various benign gynaecological indications. METHODS This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care centre including patients requiring hysterectomy for various gynaecological indications over 12 months. Outcomes including time of surgery, blood loss, intraoperative surgical technique, complications, and conversion to the abdominal route were noted. RESULTS A total of 68 cases of natural orifice non-descent hysterectomy were performed. The uterine fibroid was the most common (50 %) indication for surgery followed by adenomyosis. Uteri with previous multiple surgeries were also successfully operated vaginally. The average surgical time was 60 min, with minimal blood loss. Post-operative recovery was good and patients were discharged after 48 hours. CONCLUSIONS This article concludes that natural orifice is a safe route of non-descent hysterectomy even for larger and scarred uteri using various debulking and surgical techniques but requiring good anatomical knowledge, surgical expertise and teamwork. KEY WORDS Natural Orifice Non-Descent Hysterectomy (NONH); Surgical Variations; Debulking Technique; Post-Operative Recovery