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Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of physician gender and specialty on the utilization of hysterectomy and alternatives to hysterectomy., Study Design: The database of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield was abstracted for all claims relating to a hysterectomy procedure or a hysterectomy-associated diagnosis during the 48 consecutive months May 2001-April 2005. Two hundred ninety-five thousand, one hundred forty-eight claim lines were abstracted and analyzed by CPT and diagnostic grouping codes., Results: One thousand nine hundred seventy-two hysterectomies were performed during the time analyzed, as well as 5077 hysterectomy alternatives. These 7049 procedures represented 2.4% of all coded physician encounters. Male physicians utilize hysterectomy and hysterectomy alternatives at the same rate as female physicians. Physicians who practice gynecology-only or gynecologic oncology utilize laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy more often than their counterparts who practice obstetrics as well as gynecology., Conclusion: Gender does not influence the rate of hysterectomy for similar clinical diagnoses. Subspecialty physicians utilize laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomies more frequently than general obstetricians and gynecologists.

Objective: To determine the effect of patient clinical factors on the utilization of hysterectomy and alternatives of hysterectomy., Study Design: The database of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield was abstracted for all claims relating to a hysterectomy procedure or a hysterectomy-associated diagnosis during the 48 consecutive months of May 2001-April 2005. Two hundred ninety-five thousand one hundred forty-eight claim lines were abstracted and analyzed by CPT and diagnostic grouping codes., Results: One thousand nine hundred seventy-two hysterectomies were performed during the time analyzed, and 5,077 hysterectomy alternatives. The mean age of all patients encountered was 39.1 years. Patients undergoing a hysterectomy alternative or hysterectomy had mean ages of 46.0 and 49.7 years, respectively. Abnormal bleeding was associated with the most encounters, while leiomyomata was associated with the most hysterectomies performed., Conclusion: Patients who undergo hysterectomy are, on average, older than those undergoing office management or hysterectomy alternatives. Procedures are most commonly associated with diagnosis of bleeding, leiomyomata, or cancer. Bleeding typically results in a hysterectomy alternative, while leiomyomata has the highest association with hysterectomy.