Management of transvaginal bowel evisceration secondary to vaginal vault dehiscence following hysterectomy: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Objetives: To report a case of transvaginal bowel evisceration following total abdominal hysterectomy, and to conduct a review of the literature on its diagnosis and treatment. Materials and methods: A 48-year-old female patient who presented to a high complexity institution with transvaginal bowel evisceration lasting 10 hours. Laparotomy was performed in order to reduce the evisceration and repair the vaginal vault defect. A search was conducted in Medline via PubMed, Embase, Elsevier, Medigraphic, Wolters Kluwer Health and UpToDate using the terms "vaginal vault dehiscence," "transvaginal bowel evisceration," "dehiscence following hysterectomy," "hysterectomy complications," and using a snowball search strategy based on the studies identified, both in English and Spanish. Results: Fourteen studies were included. The diagnosis of transvaginal evisceration is primarily clinical with the observed bulging of the abdominal content through the vagina. It may also be associated with signs of peritonitis or bowel obstruction. Initial management must be an attempt at vaginal packing and prophylactic antibiotics. Several surgical techniques have been described for vaginal vault correction and reinforcement of dehiscence closure. Conclusions: Transvaginal evisceration is considered a surgical emergency. Further studies assessing the safety and effectiveness of the various management interventions are required.