Current national trends indicate that laparoscopic and robotic-assisted hysterectomy rates are increasing at the expense of the vaginal hysterectomy (VH).  This is despite patient and healthcare cost advantages of the vaginal approach.  This presentation will focus on overcoming the major perceived challenges to VH using available surgical techniques and innovations.  

At the end of this webinar learners will be able to: 

• Articulate the patient selection criteria for the vaginal approach,
• Identify the major challenges to the procedure, and
• List techniques and available technologies to overcome these challenges.

Dr. Rosanne Kho serves as Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix. Prior to 2023, she was Head of the Section of Medical Gynecology and Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (MIGS) at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. She is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and sub-specialty board certified in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS).

Dr. Kho focused her clinical and academic career in the field of pelvic surgery. She was involved in the early use of robotics in gynecology and had published on the techniques and appropriate application of the technology. She writes and teaches extensively on the adoption of surgical innovation and techniques to facilitate the performance and teaching of vaginal hysterectomy. She served for 10 years as one of four senior editors for the Journal of MIGS (2022 IF 4.3). In 2015, she founded the FMIGS subsection of the Fellows Pelvic Research Network, a fellows’ forum with senior mentorship for the conduct of multicenter trials to elevate the quality of fellows research work in MIGS. She has over 90 publications in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters and serves as research mentor for the residents and fellows.

Dr. Kho also served as the fellowship director for FPMRS and later in MIGS at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Columbia University Medical Center in New York. In 2015-2017, as president of the fellowship in MIGS, she organized teams to revamp the fellowship program site requirements, learning goals and objectives, core curriculum and reading list. Additionally, the formal process to seek ABOG recognition of MIGS as a focused field in OB/GYN was instituted. She currently serves as the President for the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons. She was recently appointed as the Director of AAGL Practice Guidelines Committee for the development of clinical practice guidelines in MIGS.

Katherine Husk, MD  | Weill Cornell Medicine