Eastern J Med. 2021; 26(1): 194-198 | DOI: 10.5505/ejm.2021.79553

The effect of obesity on the outcomes of laparoscopic hysterectomy: a literature overview

Abdallah Chaar¹, Aline Khazzaka², Moussa AL-Alak³, Michele Fichera⁴, Antonio Schiattarella⁵, Gaetano Riemma⁵, Zaki Sleiman^6
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
²Surgical Research Laboratory, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
³College of Medicine, Univerity of Kerbala, Kerbala, Iraq
⁴Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
⁵Department of Woman, Child and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
⁶Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon

In the last decades, obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the world (40% in certain countries). It predisposes to many diseases and morbidities in both males and females. In the latter, obesity predisposes to multiple gynecological conditions requiring hysterectomy such as endometrial cancer. Over the years, technical improvements have allowed surgeons to perform a hysterectomy in a minimally invasive approach (laparoscopically) with clear benefits, safety and better outcomes compared to the abdominal approach. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the effects of obesity on the outcomes of laparoscopic hysterectomy performed both for benign and malignant gynecological pathologies. We performed literature research on the electronic database PubMed from the database inception through June 29, 2019. Obesity does not seem to increase adverse outcomes in laparoscopic hysterectomy as compared to the increased postoperative complication rate after open surgery. Therefore, laparoscopic hysterectomy can be performed safely in this population and represent the approach of choice.

Keywords: Obesity, Hysterectomy, Laparoscopy, Endometrial cancer, Minimally invasive surgery, Outcomes

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