An audit of complications of complex operative gynaecological laparoscopy at a tertiary healthcare facility in South Africa

Background. Operative laparoscopic surgery has many advantages over traditional/open laparotomy. However, it is also associated with complications particularly when performed for complex gynaecological procedures. There are very few reports on operative laparoscopic surgery from developing countries. Objective. To evaluate the intraand postoperative complications associated with laparoscopic surgery performed for complex gynaecological conditions by a single surgeon at a tertiary institution. Method. This was a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent complex laparoscopic surgery between 2004 and 2016. Results. We retrieved 446 patient records. Surgery for extensive endometriosis (29.8%) and laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (29.8%) were the most common procedures. Less than a tenth of patients (4.3%; n=19) had complications, 9 had minor injuries (4 inferior epigastric vessel injury, 1 peritoneal vessel injury, 1 omental vessel injury, 1 surface tissue bleeding and 2 cases of postoperative ileus) and 10 had major injuries (6 intestinal, 2 ureteric and 3 bladder). More than a quarter of complications (26.3%; n=5) occurred at the time of abdominal entry, 63.2% (n=12) occured intraoperatively and 10.5% (n=2) occurred postoperatively. All entry injuries were vascular. Intestinal injury was the most common intraoperative complication. Conclusion. Despite the many advantages of laparoscopic surgery, complications occur particularly in patients with complex gynaecological pathology.