Vaginal packing after vaginal hysterectomy: systematic review and recommendations.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Vaginal packing is often used after vaginal hysterectomy to reduce the risk of haemorrhagic and infectious complications, but the procedure may impair spontaneous bladder emptying and necessitate permanent bladder catheterization, which itself increases the risk of urinary infection, patient bother, delayed discharge, and increased costs. This systematic review was aimed at assessing the complications and outcomes associated with vaginal packing after vaginal hysterectomy.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement, using the Population, Interventions, Comparators, Outcomes, and Study design (PICOS) framework to define eligibility.