Salpingectomy at the time of hysterectomy for benign gynaecological disease: A comparison of surgical approaches

Given that a significant percentage of high-grade serous cancers develop in the fallopian tube, it has been suggested that salpingectomy may prevent some of these malignancies. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists guidelines recommend prophylactic salpingectomy to be discussed with or offered to patients undergoing hysterectomy for benign indications. This study compares rates of salpingectomy at the time of hysterectomy for benign indications across different surgical approaches among Australian and New Zealand gynaecologists. Data were collected via SurgicalPerformance, a web-based surgical outcomes review and feedback software used by independent gynaecologic surgeons. Of 11 477 hysterectomy records available, 6608 were eligible for analysis. Rates of salpingectomy at vaginal hysterectomy (13%) were significantly lower (P < 0.001) compared to open abdominal (65%), laparoscopic (70%), laparoscopic-assisted vaginal (78%), or robotic hysterectomies (73%) and also lower than in hysterectomies converted to an open abdominal approach (73%).