Tissue Removal During Hysterectomy: The Effect of Vaginal Versus Abdominal Morcellation on Surgical Outcomes

In this study the investigators will perform a randomized trial to compare the surgical outcomes of vaginal versus abdominal morcellation of the uterus during hysterectomy. In minimally invasive gynecologic surgery small incisions are made in the abdomen and pelvis so that a hysterectomy can be performed by laparoscopy. The challenge is then to remove the uterus, which may be quite large, through these small incisions. One option is to morcellate the uterus and remove the tissue through either a small abdominal incision or an incision in the vagina. When an organ is morcellated it is cut into smaller pieces so that it can be removed, section by section, through a small incision. The investigators will compare these two methods of tissue removal to see whether one results in better surgical outcomes or increased intra-operative or post-operative complications. The primary outcome will be the time it takes to perform the surgery (operative time). Secondary surgical outcomes that will be studied include the amount of blood lost during surgery, post-operative complications, and readmission to the hospital.