Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy [Laparoskopische suprazervikale hysterektomie (LASH)]

Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LASH) is a minimally invasive procedure that was developed during the 1990s as a novel treatment option for patients with uterine bleeding disorders. To date, prospective randomized trials comparing LASH with either vaginal or abdominal hysterectomy do not exist. A randomized controlled trial that compared LASH with hysteroscopic endometrial resection found that LASH resulted in better patient satisfaction. A retrospective study compared LASH with laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy and demonstrated reduced operating time, blood loss, hospitalisation and a quicker return to normal activity for patients who underwent LASH. The potential risk of cervical carcinoma in patients with a cervical stump is often controversially discussed. However, results of follow-up studies do not indicate a higher incidence of cervical cancer after LASH compared to the risk of vaginal cuff carcinoma after total hysterectomy. © Springer Medizin Verlag 2005.