Search

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effects on oncologic outcomes of intrauterine manipulator use during laparoscopic hysterectomy for endometrial cancer., Data Sources: A systematic literature search was performed by an expert librarian in multiple electronic databases from inception to January 31, 2023., Study Eligibility Criteria: We included all studies in the English language that compared oncologic outcomes (recurrence-free, cause-specific, or overall survival) between endometrial cancer patients who underwent total laparoscopic or robotic hysterectomy for endometrial cancer with vs without the use of an intrauterine manipulator. Studies comparing only peritoneal cytology status or lymphovascular space invasion were summarized for completeness. No selection criteria were applied to the study design., Methods: Four reviewers independently reviewed studies for inclusion, assessed their risk of bias, and extracted data. Pooled hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated for oncologic outcomes using the random effect model. Heterogeneity was quantified using the I 2 tests. Publication bias was assessed by funnel plot and Egger test., Results: Out of 350 identified references, we included 2 randomized controlled trials and 12 observational studies for a total of 14 studies and 5,019 patients. The use of an intrauterine manipulator during hysterectomy for endometrial cancer was associated with a pooled hazard ratio for recurrence of 1.52 (95% confidence interval, 0.99-2.33; P=.05; I 2 =31%; chi square P value=.22). Pooled hazard ratio for recurrence was 1.48 (95% confidence interval, 0.25-8.76; P=.62; I 2 =67%; chi square P value=.08) when only randomized controlled trials were considered. Pooled hazard ratio for overall survival was 1.07 (95% confidence interval, 0.65-1.76; P=0.79; I 2 =44%; chi square P value=.17). The rate of positive peritoneal cytology or lymphovascular space invasion did not differ using an intrauterine manipulator., Conclusion: Intrauterine manipulator use during hysterectomy for endometrial cancer was neither significantly associated with recurrence-free and overall survival nor with positive peritoneal cytology or lymphovascular space invasion, but further prospective studies are needed., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The transfusion rate in hysterectomies for benign pathology is almost 3%. However, despite the strong interest in reducing intraoperative bleeding, limited evidence is available regarding the technical aspects concerning uterine vessel management during a total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH). Uterine artery (UA) closure in TLH can be performed at the origin from the internal iliac artery or at the uterus level (UL). However, low-quality evidence is available regarding the superiority of one method over the other., Material and Methods: We performed a single-blind randomized (1:1) controlled trial (NCT04156932) between December 2019 and August 2020. One hundred and eighty women undergoing TLH for benign gynecological diseases were randomized to TLH with UA closure at the origin from the internal iliac artery (n = 90), performed at the beginning of the procedure by putting two clips per side at the origin, vs closure at the UL (n = 90). Intraoperative blood loss estimated from suction devices was the primary outcome. Secondary end points were perioperative outcomes, the conversion rate from one technique to the other, and complication rates with 4 months of follow up., Results: Uterine artery closure at the origin was completed in all 90 patients (0%), whereas closure at the UL was converted to closure at the origin in 11 cases (12.2%; p < 0.001); failures were mainly associated with the presence of endometriosis (81.8% [9/11] vs 10.1% [8/79]; p < 0.001). In the intention-to-treat analysis, the intraoperative blood loss was higher in the group assigned to the closure at the UL (108.5 mL) than in the group with closure at the origin (69.3 mL); the mean difference was 39.2 mL (95% CI 13.47-64.93 mL; p = 0.003). Other perioperative outcomes and complications rates did not differ., Conclusions: Uterine artery closure at the origin reduces intraoperative blood loss during a TLH and appears to be more reproducible than closure at the UL without higher complication rates. However, the absent translation in clinical benefits impedes the support of a clinical superiority in all women. Closure at the origin may provide clinical advantages in the presence of severe preoperative anemia or pelvic anatomic distortion., (© 2021 The Authors. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NFOG).)

Objective: Vaginal cuff dehiscence, a severe and potentially detrimental complication, has significantly increased after the introduction of endoscopic hysterectomy. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis of the available literature was to identify the incidence of, and possible strategies to prevent, this complication after total laparoscopic hysterectomy and total robotic hysterectomy., Data Sources: PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were systematically queried to identify all articles reporting either laparoscopic or robot-assisted hysterectomies for benign indications in which vaginal dehiscence was reported as an outcome. Reference lists of the identified studies were manually searched. Only papers written in English were considered., Methods of Study Selection: The Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome framework for the review included (1) population of interest: women who underwent conventional and robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy; (2) interventions: possible methods to prevent vaginal dehiscence; (3) comparison: experimental strategies vs standard treatment or alternative strategy for each item of intervention; and (4) outcome: rate of vaginal dehiscence. Series of subtotal hysterectomies and radical hysterectomies in addition to reports that combined both benign and malignant cases were excluded. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan version 5.4.1 (Cochrane Training, London, United Kingdom). Two independent reviewers identified all reports comparing 2 or more possible strategies to prevent vaginal dehiscence., Tabulation, Integration, and Results: A total of 460 articles were identified. Of these, 20 (6 randomized, 2 prospective, and 12 retrospective) studies were included in this review for a total of 19 392 patients. The incidence of vaginal dehiscence after total laparoscopic hysterectomy ranged between 0.64% and 1.35%. Robotic hysterectomy was associated with a risk of vaginal dehiscence of approximately 1.64%. No study compared early vs delayed resumption of coital activity nor analyzed the role of training in laparoscopic suturing. No study specifically assessed the impact of electrosurgery on the risk of vaginal dehiscence in endoscopic hysterectomies for benign indications. Double-layer and reinforced sutures did not decrease the risk of dehiscence. Barbed sutures reduced the risk of separation compared with nonbarbed closure (0.4% [4/1108] vs 2% [22/1097]; odds ratio [OR] 0.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11-0.57). However, these data came mainly from retrospective series. Excluding studies on the use of self-anchoring sutures during robotic hysterectomy, there was no significant difference in the risk of dehiscence between barbed and nonbarbed sutures (0.5% [4/890] vs 1.4% [181/776]; OR 0.38; 95% CI, 0.13-1.10). Transvaginal suture of the vault at the end of an endoscopic hysterectomy seemed to increase the risk of dehiscence when compared with laparoscopic closure (2.3% [23/1002] vs 1.16% [11/944]; OR 1.97; 95% CI, 1.00-3.88)., Conclusion: There is a paucity of high-quality papers evaluating vaginal dehiscence and possible prevention strategies in the current literature. Only 2 effective strategies have been identified in reducing the risk for this complication: the use of barbed sutures and the adoption of a laparoscopic approach to close the vaginal cuff. When restricting the analysis only to laparoscopic cases, the use of barbed sutures does not protect against vaginal cuff separation., (Copyright © 2020 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To demonstrate the feasibility of laparoscopic secondary cytoreduction of isolated lymph node relapse of ovarian carcinoma., Design: A video explanation of a safe excision of ovarian cancer relapse using pictures to show the anatomic landmark of the retroperitoneum guiding the procedure., Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ospedale degli Infermi Hospital, Biella, Italy. The video was approved by the local institutional review board., Interventions: A 61-year-old woman was referred to our center after the diagnosis of a 5-cm bilobate lumbo-aortic relapse of ovarian cancer, 15 months after comprehensive primary surgery, performed in another center by laparotomy and chemotherapy for a stage IIIA2 disease [1-4]. By laparoscopy, extensive adhesiolysis between the small bowel and abdominal wall was performed, showing a peritoneal cavity without any signs of carcinomatosis or disease spread. The laparoscopic operation continued with opening of the preaortic retroperitoneum and exposure of the major vessels, the psoas muscles, and the ureters. The disease relapses were identified as 2 confluent bulky nodal tissues on the left and posterior aspect of the aorta. Complete laparoscopic excision of the 2 masses was achieved. Postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged from the hospital 2 days after the surgery. Final pathological examination revealed that the 2 masses removed consisted of a total of 10 and 7 metastatic nodes, respectively. The patient initiated postoperative platinum-based chemotherapy 3 weeks after the surgery, and at present, 13 months after the operation, computed tomography scan is negative, and she is free of the disease., Conclusion: Laparoscopic approach to isolated relapse of ovarian cancer is feasible and safe, with fast recovery., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Study Objective: The effect of the different types of vaginal cuff closures on posthysterectomy sexual function has not been investigated in depth. We evaluated if there is a difference between transvaginal versus a laparoscopic closure after total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) on female sexual function, using a validated questionnaire., Design: Secondary analysis of a prospective randomized controlled trial., Setting: Three academic research centers., Patients: Women consenting to telephone interviews on their sexual life before and after undergoing TLH were included., Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned to a laparoscopic or transvaginal approach for vaginal cuff closure at the end of TLH for benign indications., Measurements and Main Results: A validated questionnaire (the Female Sexual Function Index [FSFI]) was used to explore sexuality before and after the operation. Of the 1408 patients enrolled in the primary study, 400 patients were asked to complete the questionnaire. Of them, 182 (41.4%) were eligible and accepted enrollment in the present analysis. No difference was found in terms of pre- and postoperative FSFI scores between groups. Patients with a low preoperative FSFI score (<26.55) had a significantly higher likelihood of having a postoperative sexual disorder (p <.001). Women who received bilateral adnexectomy before menopause and those with postoperative vaginal cuff hematoma had a significantly lower postoperative FSFI score (p = .001 and p = .04, respectively). After multivariable analysis, both variables maintained at least a tendency toward an association with a lower postoperative FSFI score (odds ratio, 2.696; 95% confidence interval, 1.010-7.194; p = 0.048 and p = 0.053; odds ratio, 13.2; 95% confidence interval, .966-180.5, respectively)., Conclusion: Transvaginal and laparoscopic cuff closures after TLH have similar sexual postoperative outcomes. A patient with sexual problems before TLH is more likely to have a low FSFI score postoperatively. Premenopausal patients undergoing bilateral ovariectomy and those with postoperative vaginal cuff hematoma have a worse postoperative sexual life. (Clinicaltrials.gov, protocol number NCT02453165, registration date May 25, 2015.)., (Copyright © 2019 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)