Robotic surgical staging for obese patients with endometrial cancer

Surgical Treatment for Endometrial Cancer, Hysterectomy Performed via Minimally Invasive Routes Compared with Open Surgery: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Background: Total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy via minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has emerged as the standard of care for early-stage endometrial cancer (EC). Prior systematic reviews and meta-analyses have focused on outcomes reported solely from randomised controlled trials (RCTs), overlooking valuable data from non-randomised studies. This inaugural systematic review and network meta-analysis comprehensively compares clinical and oncological outcomes between MIS and open surgery for early-stage EC, incorporating evidence from randomised and non-randomised studies. Methods: This study was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020186959). All original research of any experimental design reporting clinical and oncological outcomes of surgical treatment for endometrial cancer was included. Study selection was restricted to English-language peer-reviewed journal articles published 1 January 1995-31 December 2021. A Bayesian network meta-analysis was conducted. Results: A total of 99 studies were included in the network meta-analysis, comprising 181,716 women and 14 outcomes. Compared with open surgery, laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery demonstrated reduced blood loss and length of hospital stay but increased operating time. Compared with laparoscopic surgery, robotic-assisted surgery was associated with a significant reduction in ileus (OR = 0.40, 95% CrI: 0.17-0.87) and total intra-operative complications (OR = 0.38, 95% CrI: 0.17-0.75) as well as a higher disease-free survival (OR = 2.45, 95% CrI: 1.04-6.34). Conclusions: For treating early endometrial cancer, minimal-access surgery via robotic-assisted or laparoscopic techniques appears safer and more efficacious than open surgery. Robotic-assisted surgery is associated with fewer complications and favourable oncological outcomes.

Robotic surgery for deep-infiltrating endometriosis: is it time to take a step forward?

Endometriosis is a chronic debilitating disease that affects nearly 10% of women of the reproductive age. Although the treatment modalities of endometriosis are numerous, surgical excision of the endometriotic implants and nodules remains the sole cytoreductive approach. Laparoscopic excision of endometriosis was proven to be beneficial in improving the postoperative pain and fertility. Moreover, it was also proved to be safe and efficient in treating the visceral localization of deep endometriosis, such as urinary and colorectal endometriosis. More recently, robotic-assisted surgery gained attention in the field of endometriosis surgery. Although the robotic technology provides a 3D vision of the surgical field and 7-degree of freedom motion, the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of this approach are yet to be determined. With this paper, we aim to review the available evidence regarding the role of robotic surgery in the management of endometriosis along with the current practices in the field.

Robotic-assisted surgery for endometrial cancer is safe in morbidly and extremely morbidly obese patients

OBJECTIVE

Obesity has risen to affect >25% of the Canadian population. Perioperative challenges with increased morbidity are encountered. We evaluated the outcome of robotic-assisted surgery for endometrial cancer (EC) in obese patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed all robotic surgeries performed for EC in women with BMI ≥40 kg/m2, from 2012 to 2020 in our center. Patients were divided into 2 groups (class III: 40-49 kg/m2, class IV: ≥50 kg/m2). Complications and outcome were compared.

RESULTS

185 patients were included: 139 class III and 46 class IV. The main histology was endometrioid adenocarcinoma (70,5% of class III and 58,1% of class IV (p = 0,138)). The mean blood loss, overall sentinel node detection and median length of stay were similar in both groups. Six class III (4,3%) and 3 class IV (6,5%) patients required conversion to laparotomy due to poor surgical field exposure (p = 0,692). The rate of intraoperative complications was similar between the 2 groups (1.4% in class III vs none in class IV, p = 1). There were 10 class III (7,2%) and 10 class IV (21,7%) post-operative complications (p = 0.011), but most were grade 2 (3,6% in class III vs 13% in class IV, p = 0.029)). Grade 3 and 4 postoperative complications were low (2.7%) and not statistically different between the 2 groups. Readmission rate was low in both groups (4 in each group, p = 1.07). Recurrence occurred in 5,8% of class III and 4,3% of class IV patients (p = 1).

CONCLUSION

Robotic-assisted surgery for EC in class III and class IV obese patients is a safe and feasible procedure, with low complication rate, similar oncologic outcome, conversion rate, blood loss, readmission rate and length of hospital stay.

Influence of steep Trendelenburg position on postoperative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Intraoperative physiologic changes related to the steep Trendelenburg position have been investigated with the widespread adoption of robot-assisted pelvic surgery (RAPS). However, the impact of the steep Trendelenburg position on postoperative complications remains unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare RAPS to laparoscopic/open pelvic surgery with regards to the rates of venous thromboembolism (VTE), cardiac, and cerebrovascular complications. Meta-regression was performed to evaluate the influence of confounding risk factors. Ten randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 47 non-randomized controlled studies (NRSs), with a total of 380,125 patients, were included. Although RAPS was associated with a decreased risk of VTE and cardiac complications compared to laparoscopic/open pelvic surgery in NRSs [risk ratio (RR), 0.59; 95% CI 0.51–0.72, p < 0.001 and RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.58–1.50, p = 0.78, respectively], these differences were not confirmed in RCTs (RR 0.92; 95% CI 0.52–1.62, p = 0.77 and RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.58–1.50, p = 0.78, respectively). In subgroup analyses of laparoscopic surgery, there was no significant difference in the risk of VTE and cardiac complications in both RCTs and NRSs. In the meta-regression, none of the risk factors were found to be associated with heterogeneity. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in cerebrovascular complications between RAPS and laparoscopic/open pelvic surgery. Our meta-analysis suggests that the steep Trendelenburg position does not seem to affect postoperative complications and, therefore, can be considered safe with regard to the risk of VTE, cardiac, and cerebrovascular complications. However, proper individualized preventive measures should still be implemented during all surgeries including RAPS to warrant patient safety.

Outcomes of robotic surgery in morbidly obese patients with endometrial cancer: a retrospective study

With advances in minimal invasive surgery, robotic surgery has become the widespread approach for surgical staging of endometrial cancer in the obese population. This study aimed to evaluate safety and surgical outcomes of robotic surgery in the morbidly obese and extremely morbidly obese patients with endometrial cancer. Retrospective cohort study. A total of 391 obese women undergoing robotic-assisted surgical staging were identified and included in the study. Surgical outcomes for obese patients (BMI > 30 kg/m²) who underwent surgical staging between 2011 and 2019 were retrospectively collected. Preoperative characteristics, perioperative outcomes and postoperative complications were analyzed among the categories of obesity (BMI ≥ 30-34.9 kg/m²,  ≥ 35-39.9 kg/m²,  ≥ 40-49.9 kg/m²) including the extremely morbid obese (BMI  > 50 kg/m²). Comparative analysis revealed a higher percentage of postoperative complications with increasing BMI, although the results were not statistically significant. Postoperative complications are observed at higher rates among women with increasing BMI.

Laparoscopic and robotic hysterectomy in endometrial cancer patients with obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of conversions and complications

OBJECTIVE DATA

Robotic assistance may facilitate completion of minimally invasive hysterectomy, which is the standard of care for the treatment of early-stage endometrial cancer, in patients for whom conventional laparoscopy is challenging. The aim of this systematic review was to assess conversion to laparotomy and perioperative complications after laparoscopic and robotic hysterectomy in patients with endometrial cancer and obesity (body mass index, ≥30 kg/m²).

STUDY

We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews (January 1, 2000, to July 18, 2018) for studies of patients with endometrial cancer and obesity (body mass index, ≥30 kg/m²) who underwent primary hysterectomy.

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS

We determined the pooled proportions of conversion, organ/vessel injury, venous thromboembolism, and blood transfusion. We assessed risk of bias with the Institute of Health Economics Quality Appraisal Checklist for single-arm studies, and Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Scale for double-arm studies.

RESULTS

We identified 51 observational studies that reported on 10,800 patients with endometrial cancer and obesity (study-level body mass index, 31.0-56.3 kg/m²). The pooled proportions of conversion from laparoscopic and robotic hysterectomy were 6.5% (95% confidence interval, 4.3-9.9) and 5.5% (95% confidence interval, 3.3-9.1), respectively, among patients with a body mass index of ≥30 kg/m², and 7.0% (95% confidence interval, 3.2-14.5) and 3.8% (95% confidence interval, 1.4-9.9) among patients with body mass index of ≥40 kg/m². Inadequate exposure because of adhesions/visceral adiposity was the most common reason for conversion for both laparoscopic (32%) and robotic hysterectomy (61%); however, intolerance of the Trendelenburg position caused 31% of laparoscopic conversions and 6% of robotic hysterectomy conversions. The pooled proportions of organ/vessel injury (laparoscopic, 3.5% [95% confidence interval, 2.2-5.5]; robotic hysterectomy, 1.2% [95% confidence interval, 0.4-3.4]), venous thromboembolism (laparoscopic, 0.5% [95% confidence interval, 0.2-1.2]; robotic hysterectomy, 0.5% [95% confidence interval, 0.1-2.0]), and blood transfusion (laparoscopic, 2.8% [95% confidence interval, 1.5-5.1]; robotic hysterectomy, 2.1% [95% confidence interval, 1.6-3.8]) were low and not appreciably different between arms.

CONCLUSION

Robotic and laparoscopic hysterectomy have similar rates perioperative complications in patients with endometrial cancer and obesity, but robotic hysterectomy may reduce conversions because of positional intolerance in patients with morbid obesity. Existing literature is limited by selection and confounding bias, and randomized trials are needed to inform practice standards in this population.

Can Teamwork and High-Volume Experience Overcome Challenges of Lymphadenectomy in Morbidly Obese Patients (Body Mass Index of 40 kg/m2 or Greater) with Endometrial Cancer?: A Cohort Study of Robotics and Laparotomy and Review of Literature

Objective

This study aimed to compare surgical outcomes and the adequacy of surgical staging in morbidly obese women with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg/m² or greater who underwent robotic surgery or laparotomy for the staging of endometrioid-type endometrial cancer.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent surgical staging between May 2011 and June 2014. Patients' demographics, surgical outcomes, intraoperative and postoperative complications, and pathological outcomes were compared.

Results

Seventy-six morbidly obese patients underwent robotic surgery, and 35 underwent laparotomy for surgical staging. Robotic surgery was associated with more lymph nodes collected with increasing BMI (P < 0.001) and decreased chances for postoperative respiratory failure and intensive care unit admissions (P = 0.03). Despite a desire to comprehensively stage all patients, we performed successful pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy in 96% versus 89% (P = 0.2) and 75% versus 60% (P = 0.12) of robotic versus laparotomy patients, respectively. In the robotic group, with median BMI of 47 kg/m², no conversions to laparotomy occurred. The robotic group experienced less blood loss and a shorter length of hospital stay than the laparotomy group; however, the surgeries were longer.

Conclusions

In a high-volume center, a high rate of comprehensive surgical staging can be achieved in patients with BMI of 40 kg/m² or greater either by laparotomy or robotic approach. In our experience, robotic surgery in morbidly obese patients is associated with better quality staging of endometrial cancer. With a comprehensive approach, a professional bedside assistant, use of a monopolar cautery hook, and our protocol of treating morbidly obese patients, robotic surgeries can be safely performed in the vast majority of patients with a BMI of 40 kg/m² or greater, with lymph node counts being similar to nonobese patients, and with conversions to laparotomy reduced to a minimum.

Robot-assisted Surgery in Gynecologic Cancers

Robotic-assisted surgery is a technological advancement that facilitates the application of minimally invasive techniques for complex operations in gynecologic oncology. The objective of this article was to review the literature regarding the role of robotic-assisted surgery to treat women with gynecologic cancers. The majority of publications on robotic surgery are still retrospective or descriptive in nature; however, the data for managing patients with a robotic-assisted approach show comparable, and at times improved, outcomes compared with both laparoscopy (2-dimensional) and laparotomy approaches. Robotic-assisted surgery has been used for patients with endometrial cancer and resulted in the increased use of minimally invasive surgery with improved outcomes compared with laparotomy and partially with laparoscopy. This has been shown in large cohorts of patients as well as in obese patients in whom the complication rates have significantly decreased. For early cervical cancer, robotic radical hysterectomy seems to be safe and feasible and to be preferable to laparotomy with seemingly comparable oncologic outcomes. Robotic-assisted surgery and conventional laparoscopy to stage women with early-stage ovarian cancer seem to have similar surgical and oncologic outcomes, with a shorter learning curve for robotic-assisted surgery. However, robotic-assisted surgery appears to be more expensive than laparotomy and traditional laparoscopy. In conclusion, robotic-assisted surgery appears to facilitate the surgical approach for complex operations to treat women with gynecologic cancers. Although randomized controlled trials are lacking to further elucidate the equivalence of robot-assisted surgery with conventional methods in terms of oncologic outcome and patients' quality of life, the technology appears to be safe and effective and could offer a minimally invasive approach to a much larger group of patients.

Bowel injury in robotic gynecologic surgery: risk factors and management options. A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

We sought to analyze the published literature on bowel injuries in patients undergoing gynecologic robotic surgery with the aim to determine its incidence, predisposing factors, and treatment options.

DATA SOURCES

Studies included in this analysis were identified by searching PubMed Central, OVID Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases. References for all studies were also reviewed. Time frame for data analysis spanned from November 2001 through December 2014.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

All English-language studies reporting the incidence of bowel injury or complications during robotic gynecologic surgery were included. Studies with data duplication, not in English, case reports, or studies that did not explicitly define bowel injury incidence were excluded.

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS

The Guidelines for Meta-Analyses and Systematic Reviews of Observational Studies were used to complete the systematic review with the exception of scoring study quality and a single primary reviewer.

RESULTS

In all, 370 full-text articles were reviewed and 144 met the inclusion criteria. There were 84 bowel injuries recorded in 13,444 patients for an incidence of 1 in 160 (0.62%; 95% confidence interval, 0.50-0.76%). There were no significant differences in incidence of bowel injury by procedure type. The anatomic location of injury, etiology, and management were rarely reported. Of the bowel injuries, 87% were recognized intraoperatively and the majority (58%) managed via a minimally invasive approach. Of 13,444 patients, 3 (0.02%) (95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.07%) died in the immediate postoperative period and no deaths were a result of a bowel injury.

CONCLUSION

The overall incidence of bowel injury in robotic-assisted gynecologic surgery is 1 in 160. When the location of bowel injuries were specified, they most commonly occurred in the colon and rectum and most were managed via a minimally invasive approach.

Robot-assisted hysterectomy for endometrial and cervical cancers: a systematic review

Total and radical hysterectomies are the most common treatment strategies for early-stage endometrial and cervical cancers, respectively. Surgical modalities include open surgery, laparoscopy, and more recently, minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery. We searched several electronic databases for randomized controlled trials and observational studies with a comparison group, published between 2009 and 2014. Our outcomes of interest included both perioperative and morbidity outcomes. We included 35 observational studies in this review. We did not find any randomized controlled trials. The quality of evidence for all reported outcomes was very low. For women with endometrial cancer, we found that there was a reduction in estimated blood loss between the robot-assisted surgery compared to both laparoscopy and open surgery. There was a reduction in length of hospital stay between robot-assisted surgery and open surgery but not laparoscopy. There was no difference in total lymph node removal between the three modalities. There was no difference in the rate of overall complications between the robot-assisted technique and laparoscopy. For women with cervical cancer, there were no differences in estimated blood loss or removal of lymph nodes between robot-assisted and laparoscopic procedure. Compared to laparotomy, robot-assisted hysterectomy for cervical cancer showed an overall reduction in estimated blood loss. Although robot-assisted hysterectomy is clinically effective for the treatment of both endometrial and cervical cancers, methodologically rigorous studies are lacking to draw definitive conclusions.

Robot-assisted surgery versus conventional laparoscopic surgery for endometrial cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To compare perioperative outcomes between robot-assisted surgery (RAS) and conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS) for the treatment of endometrial cancer by conducting a meta-analysis.

METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and EMBASE up to January 8, 2016. Studies clearly documenting a comparison between RAS and CLS for patients with endometrial cancer were included. The perioperative outcomes of interest included intraoperative visceral injuries, postoperative complications, operation time, estimated blood loss (EBL), blood transfusion, total lymph nodes harvested (TLNH), conversion to laparotomy, and length of hospital stay. The weighted mean difference (WMD) and odds ratio (OR) were pooled with either a fixed-effects or a random-effects model.

RESULTS

A total of 19 studies were included in the analysis, involving 3056 patients. The pooled analysis showed that RAS was associated with lower EBL (WMD -77.65; 95 % confidence interval [CI] -105.58 to -49.72), lower conversion rate (OR 0.29; 95 % CI 0.18-0.46), and shorter hospital stay (WMD -0.48; 95 % CI -0.70 to -0.26) compared to CLS. The incidence of intraoperative visceral injuries, operation time, transfusion rate, and TLNH showed no significant differences between RAS and CLS.

CONCLUSIONS

RAS is a feasible and effective surgical approach that may be superior to CLS for the treatment of endometrial cancer, with lower EBL and lower conversion rate. Further prospective randomized trials are required to validate our findings.

Impact of Robotic Platforms on Surgical Approach and Costs in the Management of Morbidly Obese Patients with Newly Diagnosed Uterine Cancer

BACKGROUND

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is associated with decreased complication rates, length of hospital stay, and cost compared with laparotomy. Robotic-assisted surgery-a method of laparoscopy-addresses many of the limitations of standard laparoscopic instrumentation, thus leading to increased rates of MIS. We sought to assess the impact of robotics on the rates and costs of surgical approaches in morbidly obese patients with uterine cancer.

METHODS

Patients who underwent primary surgery at our institution for uterine cancer from 1993 to 2012 with a BMI ≥40 mg/m(2) were identified. Surgical approaches were categorized as laparotomy (planned or converted), laparoscopic, robotic, or vaginal. We identified two time periods based on the evolving use of MIS at our institution: laparoscopic (1993-2007) and robotic (2008-2012). Direct costs were analyzed for cases performed from 2009 to 2012.

RESULTS

We identified 426 eligible cases; 299 performed via laparotomy, 125 via MIS, and 2 via a vaginal approach. The rates of MIS for the laparoscopic and robotic time periods were 6 % and 57 %, respectively. The rate of MIS was 78 % in this morbidly obese cohort in 2012; 69 % were completed robotically. The median length of hospital stay was 5 days (range 2-37) for laparotomy cases and 1 day (range 0-7) for MIS cases (P < 0.001). The complication rate was 36 and 15 %, respectively (P < 0.001). The rate of wound-related complications was 27 and 6 %, respectively (P < 0.001). Laparotomy was associated with the highest cost.

CONCLUSIONS

The robotic platform provides significant health and cost benefits by increasing MIS rates in this patient population.

Robotic versus laparoscopic versus open surgery in morbidly obese endometrial cancer patients - a comparative analysis of total charges and complication rates

OBJECTIVE

To compare the complications and charges of robotic vs. laparoscopic vs. open surgeries in morbidly obese patients treated for endometrial cancer.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2011. Chi-squared, Wilcoxon rank sum two-sample tests, and multivariate analyses were used for statistical analyses.

RESULTS

Of 1087 morbidly obese (BMI ≥40kg/m(2)) endometrial cancer patients (median age: 59years, range: 22 to 89), 567 (52%) had open surgery (OS), 98 (9%) laparoscopic (LS), and 422 (39%) robotic surgery (RS). 23% of OS, 13% of LS, and 8% of RS patients experienced an intraoperative or postoperative complication including: blood transfusions, mechanical ventilation, urinary tract injury, gastrointestinal injury, wound debridement, infection, venous thromboembolism, and lymphedema (p<0.0001). RS and LS patients were less likely to receive blood transfusions compared to OS (5% and 6% vs. 14%, respectively; p<0.0001). The median lengths of hospitalization for OS, LS, and RS patients were 4, 1, and 1days, respectively (p<0.0001). Median total charges associated with OS, LS, and RS were $39,281, $40,997, and $45,030 (p=0.037), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In morbidly obese endometrial cancer patients, minimally invasive robotic or laparoscopic surgeries were associated with fewer complications and less days of hospitalization relative to open surgery. Compared to laparoscopic approach, robotic surgeries had comparable rates of complications but higher charges.

Robotic Hysterectomy for Endometrial Cancer in Obese Patients With Comorbidities: Evaluating Postoperative Complications

Objectives

The objective of this study is to determine (1) if there is a relationship between increasing body mass index (BMI) and postoperative complications in patients undergoing robotic hysterectomy for endometrial cancer and (2) if there are additional patient characteristics, specifically preoperative comorbidities, which increase the risk of postoperative complication

Methods

A retrospective chart review was conducted on women who underwent a robotic staging surgery for endometrial cancer from 2006 to 2012. Basic demographics and preoperative and postoperative complications were extracted from the medical records. Obesity was divided into 4 categories, and complication rates were compared across these subgroups. Patients were also divided by the number of comorbidities and compared.

Results

The cohort included 543 patients. The BMI ranged from 17.3 to 69.5 kg/m2. Three hundred eighty patients (70%) were obese (BMI >30 kg.m2). One hundred ninety patients (35%) had no comorbidities other than obesity, and 180 patients (33%) had only 1 comorbidity other than obesity (Table 1).

Postoperative complications occurred in 102 (18.7%) of the patients. Severe postoperative complications, including intensive care unit admission, reintubation, reoperation, and perioperative death, occurred in 14 patients (2.6%). Of the nonobese patients, 27 (16.5%) had postoperative complications; of the obese patients, 75 (19.7%) had a complication (P = 0.38). In patients with no comorbidities, 16.3% had a complication; 18% of patients with 1 to 2 comorbidities had a complication, and 28% of patients with 3 or more comorbidities had a complication (P = 0.08).

Conclusions

The postoperative complication rate based on BMI or number of comorbidities was not statistically significant, but patients with greater number of comorbidities had an increased rate of postoperative complications. Patients with certain comorbidities, cardiac and renal specifically, had the highest rates of postoperative complications.

Robotic surgery in supermorbidly obese patients with endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

Morbid obesity is a known risk factor for the development of endometrial cancer. Several studies have demonstrated the overall feasibility of robotic-assisted surgical staging for endometrial cancer as well as the benefits of robotics compared with laparotomy. However, there have been few reports that have evaluated robotic surgery for endometrial cancer in the supermorbidly obese population (body mass index [BMI], ≥50 kg/m(2)). We sought to evaluate safety, feasibility, and outcomes for supermorbidly obese patients who undergo robotic surgery for endometrial cancer, compared with patients with lower body mass indices.

STUDY DESIGN

We performed a retrospective chart review of 168 patients with suspected early-stage endometrial adenocarcinoma who underwent robotic surgery for the management of their disease. Analysis of variance and univariate logistic regression were used to compare patient characteristics and surgical variables across all body weights. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to determine the impact of body weight on recurrence-free and overall survival.

RESULTS

The mean BMI of our cohort was 40.9 kg/m(2). Median follow up was 31 months. Fifty-six patients, 30% of which had grade 2 or 3 tumors, were supermorbidly obese with a BMI of ≥50 kg/m(2) (mean, 56.3 kg/m(2)). A comparison between the supermorbidly obese and lower-weight patients demonstrated no differences in terms of length of hospital stay, blood loss, complication rates, numbers of pelvic and paraaortic lymph nodes retrieved, or recurrence and survival. There was a correlation between BMI and conversion to an open procedure, in which the odds of conversion increased with increasing BMI (P = .02).

CONCLUSION

Offering robotic surgery to supermorbidly obese patients with endometrial cancer is a safe and feasible surgical management option. When compared with patients with a lower BMI, the supermorbidly obese patient had a similar outcome, length of hospital stay, blood loss, complications, and numbers of lymph nodes retrieved.

Obesity and perioperative pulmonary complications in robotic gynecologic surgery

OBJECTIVE

Robotic gynecological surgery is feasible in obese patients, but there remain concerns about the safety of this approach because the positioning required for pelvic surgery can exacerbate obesity-related changes in respiratory physiology. The objective of our study was to evaluate pulmonary and all-cause complication rates in obese women undergoing robotic gynecological surgery and to assess variables that may be associated with complications.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective chart review was performed on obese patients (body mass index of ≥30 kg/m(2)) who underwent robotic gynecological surgery at 2 academic institutions between 2006 and 2012. The primary outcome was pulmonary complications and the secondary outcome was all-cause complications. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the associations between patient baseline variables, operative variables, ventilator parameters, and complications.

RESULTS

Of 1032 patients, 146 patients (14%) had any complication, whereas only 33 patients (3%) had a pulmonary complication. Median body mass index was 37 kg/m(2). Only age was significantly associated with a higher risk of pulmonary complications (P = .01). Older age, higher estimated blood loss, and longer case length were associated with a higher rate of all-cause complications (P = .0001, P < .0001, and P = .004, respectively). No other covariates were strongly associated with complications.

CONCLUSION

The vast majority of obese patients can successfully tolerate robotic gynecological surgery and have overall low complications rates and even lower rates of pulmonary complications. The degree of obesity was not predictive of successful robotic surgery and subsequent complications.

Surgical management of early endometrial cancer: an update and proposal of a therapeutic algorithm

In the last few years technical improvements have produced a dramatic shift from traditional open surgery towards a minimally invasive approach for the management of early endometrial cancer. Advancement in minimally invasive surgical approaches has allowed extensive staging procedures to be performed with significantly reduced patient morbidity. Debate is ongoing regarding the choice of a minimally invasive approach that has the most effective benefit for the patients, the surgeon, and the healthcare system as a whole.

Surgical treatment of women with presumed early endometrial cancer should take into account the features of endometrial disease and the general surgical risk of the patient. Women with endometrial cancer are often aged, obese, and with cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities that increase the risk of peri-operative complications, so it is important to tailor the extent and the radicalness of surgery in order to decrease morbidity and mortality potentially derivable from unnecessary procedures. In this regard women with negative nodes derive no benefit from unnecessary lymphadenectomy, but may develop short- and long-term morbidity related to this procedure. Preoperative and intraoperative techniques could be critical tools for tailoring the extent and the radicalness of surgery in the management of women with presumed early endometrial cancer. In this review we will discuss updates in surgical management of early endometrial cancer and also the role of preoperative and intraoperative evaluation of lymph node status in influencing surgical options, with the aim of proposing a management algorithm based on the literature and our experience.

Unintended consequences: surgical complications in gynecologic cancer

More than 91,000 women in the USA will be diagnosed with a gynecologic malignancy in 2013. Most will undergo surgery for staging, treatment or both. No therapeutic intervention is without consequence, therefore, it is imperative to understand the possible complications associated with the perioperative period before undertaking surgery. Complication rates are affected by a patient population that is increasingly older, more obese and more medically complicated. Surgical modalities consist of abdominal, vaginal, laparoscopic and robotic-assisted approaches, and also affect rates of complications. An understanding of the various approaches, patient characteristics and surgeon experience allow for individualized decision-making to minimize the complications after surgery for gynecologic cancer.

Outcomes of gynecologic oncology patients undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic procedures in a university setting

This study evaluated intraoperative complications and postoperative outcomes of gynecologic oncology patients undergoing robotic-assisted (RA) laparoscopic procedures in a university setting. A retrospective chart review evaluated all gynecologic oncology patients at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who underwent attempted RA procedures between August 2006 and October 2011. Patient demographics, medical/surgical history, intraoperative complications, postoperative outcomes, conversion rates, readmission rates, and length of stay were examined. Total complication rates were assessed over time for each surgeon. 681 patients underwent planned RA procedures by seven gynecologic oncologists. The mean body mass index was 33.5 kg/m(2) (range 16.6-71.0 kg/m(2)). 61.4 % were diagnosed with malignancy. The most common procedure was RA hysterectomy with unilateral/bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (37.2 %). Robotic staging was performed in 291 patients (45.1 %). Mean estimated blood loss was 75 ml (range 5-700 ml). 36 patients (5.3 %) were converted to laparotomy. The most common reason for conversion was adhesions (30.1 %), followed by uterine size (22.2 %). In 107 cases, a surgical modification was required for specimen removal including mini-laparotomy (24), extension of accessory port (36), morcellation (9), and difficult vaginal delivery (38). 3.7 % had intraoperative complications; 6 patients had a cystotomy and 5 had a vascular injury. Postoperatively, 20 patients had a febrile episode, 9 had wound complications, and 3 had a vaginal cuff dehiscence. 27 (4.2 %) patients were readmitted within 30 days. Complication rates and conversion rates were similar per surgeon. Total complication rates for evaluable surgeons were similar between the first 10 cases and subsequent 50 cases. Although patients undergoing RA procedures in a university setting are high risk, the conversion rate to laparotomy is low and intraoperative and postoperative complications are acceptable. Total complication rates for each surgeon were not impacted by the number of cases performed.

Implementation of robot-assisted gynecologic surgery for patients with low and high BMI in a German gynecological cancer center

PURPOSE

To present a single center outcome from an initial series of gynecological robotic cases with a special reference to obese patients.

METHODS

A retrospective evaluation of 116 women, undergoing elective gynecologic robot-assisted surgery from February 2011 to December 2012. Procedures included hysterectomy (HE), radical HE, adnexectomy, myomectomy, pelvic lymphadenectomy and paraaortic lymphadenectomy, sentinel node extraction, and omentectomy. The feasibility and outcome were investigated in relation to normal and high body mass index (BMI < 30 and BMI ≥ 30).

RESULTS

The overall complication rate was low (15/116; 12.9 %). The number of perioperative complications was not different between the patients with normal BMI compared to those with high BMI. Five operations were converted to open surgery due to vascular injury (2), intestinal injury (2) and one insufficiently exposed paraaortic field in an endometrial cancer patient. Urinary bladder was injured once. Late complications included vaginal dehisce (2), vaginal hemorrhage (1), cuff hematoma (4), lymphocyst (1) and two urinary tract injuries. The rate of the late complications was not significantly different in the two groups of patients (p = 0.139). A significant difference in patients' positioning time was observed between normal weighted and obese patients (35 and 55 min, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Robotic procedure was feasible and could be implemented for treating the first setting of mixed indications for gynecologic surgery. Robotic surgery may offer particular advantages in obese patients with no conversions and no wound complications.

Robotic-assisted transperitoneal aortic lymphadenectomy as part of staging procedure for gynaecological malignancies: single institution experience

Introduction. This study was designed to confirm the feasibility and safety of robotic-assisted transperitoneal aortic lymphadenectomy as part of staging procedure for gynecologic malignancies. Methods. Chart review of 51 patients who had undergone robotic staging with aortic lymphadenectomy for different gynaecologic malignancies was performed. Results. The primary diagnosis was as follows: 6 cases of endometrial cancer, 31 epithelial ovarian cancer, 9 nonepithelial ovarian cancer, 4 tubal cancer, and 1 cervical cancer. Median BMI was 23 kg/m². Except for a single case of aortic lymphadenectomy only, both aortic and pelvic lymphadenectomies were performed at the time of the staging procedure. All the para-aortic lymphadenectomies were carried out to the level of the renal veinl but 6 cases were carried out to the level of the inferior mesenteric artery. Hysterectomy was performed in 24 patiens (47%). There was no conversion to LPT. The median console time was 285 (range 195–402) with a significant difference between patients who underwent hysterectomy and those who did not. The median estimated blood loss was 50 mL (range 20–200). The mean number of removed nodes was 29 ± 9.6. The mean number of pelvic nodes was 15 ± 7.6, whereas the mean number of para-aortic nodes was 14 ± 6.6. Conclusions. Robotic transperitoneal infrarenal aortic lymphadenectomy as part of staging procedure is feasible and can be safely performed. Additional trocars are needed when pelvic surgery is also performed.