New tool (Laparotenser) for gasless laparoscopic myomectomy: a multicenter-controlled study

Clinical effectiveness of gasless laparoscopic surgery for abdominal conditions: systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

In high-income countries, laparoscopic surgery is the preferred approach for many abdominal conditions. Conventional laparoscopy is a complex intervention that is challenging to adopt and implement in low resource settings. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluate the clinical effectiveness of gasless laparoscopy compared to conventional laparoscopy with CO2 pneumoperitoneum and open surgery for general surgery and gynaecological procedures.

METHODS

A search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, AJOL databases and Cochrane Library was performed from inception to January 2021. All randomised (RCTs) and comparative cohort (non-RCTs) studies comparing gasless laparoscopy with open surgery or conventional laparoscopy were included. The primary outcomes were mortality, conversion rates and intraoperative complications.

SECONDARY OUTCOMES

operative times and length of stay. The inverse variance random-effects model was used to synthesise data.

RESULTS

63 studies were included: 41 RCTs and 22 non-RCTs (3,620 patients). No procedure-related deaths were reported in the studies. For gasless vs conventional laparoscopy there was no difference in intraoperative complications for general RR 1.04 [CI 0.45-2.40] or gynaecological surgery RR 0.66 [0.14-3.13]. In the gasless laparoscopy group, the conversion rates for gynaecological surgery were high RR 11.72 [CI 2.26-60.87] when compared to conventional laparoscopy. For gasless vs open surgery, the operative times were longer for gasless surgery in general surgery RCT group MD (mean difference) 10 [CI 0.64, 19.36], but significantly shorter in the gynaecology RCT group MD - 18.74 [CI - 29.23, - 8.26]. For gasless laparoscopy vs open surgery non-RCT, the length of stay was shorter for gasless laparoscopy in general surgery MD - 3.94 [CI - 5.93, - 1.95] and gynaecology MD - 1.75 [CI - 2.64, - 0.86]. Overall GRADE assessment for RCTs and Non-RCTs was very low.

CONCLUSION

Gasless laparoscopy has advantages for selective general and gynaecological procedures and may have a vital role to play in low resource settings.

A different technique in gasless, laparoendoscopic, single-site myomectomy

Background

The aim of this study was to introduce a novel technique for gasless, laparoendoscopic, single-site (GLESS) myomectomy and to evaluate its feasibility and safety.

Methods

A retrospective observational study was performed at a hospital from Sep 2017 to Nov 2018. 15 patients with symptomatic subserosal or intramural myomas underwent GLESS myomectomy.

Results

The mean age and body mass index were 41.73 ± 8.58 years and 22.72 ± 2.27 kg/m², respectively. 5 patients had a history of abdominal surgery, including four caesarean deliveries and one myomectomy. The mean operative duration, blood loss volume, time to specimen removal, time of bowel activity and postoperative hospitalization duration were 156.47 ± 62.19 min, 57.33 ± 72.35 ml, 29.87 ± 13.6 min, 27.67 ± 10.06 h, and 3.4 ± 0.74 days, respectively. The operation was successful in all patients, there were no surgical or wound complications in any patient, and the histopathological result was leiomyoma in all 15 patients.

Conclusion

The procedure is feasible and safe in selected patients with symptomatic myomas.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00464-020-08044-y.

Gasless Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy with New Abdominal-Wall Retraction System

Background and Objectives

Gasless laparoscopy is an alternative method to reduce the number of carbon dioxide (CO₂)-insufflated, pneumoperitoneum-related problems including shoulder pain, postoperative nausea/vomiting, and decreased cardiopulmonary function. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of gasless total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) with a newly developed abdominal-wall retraction system.

Methods

Abdominal-wall retraction for gasless laparoscopy was performed using the newly developed J-shape retractor and the Thompson surgical retractor. Surgical outcomes between gasless TLH and conventional CO₂-based TLH were compared for each of 40 patients for the period from January 2017 to October 2019.

Results

Between gasless TLH and conventional CO₂-based TLH, no significant differences were observed for age, body mass index, parity, or surgical indications. The mean retraction setup time from skin incision was 7.4 min (range: 4-12 min) with gasless TLH. The mean total operation times were 87.9 min (range: 65-170) with gasless TLH and 90 min (range: 45-180) with conventional TLH, which showed no significant difference. Estimated blood loss and uterus weight also showed no significant intergroup difference. No major complications related to the ureter, bladder, or bowel were encountered.

Conclusion

Our new abdominal-wall retraction system for gasless TLH allowed for easy setup and a proper operation field in the performance of laparoscopic hysterectomy.

A systematic review on efficacy and safety of gasless laparoscopy in the management of uterine leiomyoma

Uterine leiomyoma causes considerable morbidity in women. This study systematically reviewed the efficacy and safety of gasless laparoscopic myomectomy (GLM) in the management of uterine leiomyoma by comparing GLM with other minimally invasive procedures. Cochrane Library, Pub- Med, EMBASE, Web of Science, WANFANG database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched for studies published in English or Chinese between January 1995 and May 2015, and related references were traced. Study outcomes from randomized controlled trials and retrospective cohort studies were presented as mean difference (MD) or odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Seventeen studies (including 1862 patients) meeting the inclusion criteria, including 934 treated with GLM and 928 treated with other minimally invasive procedures were reviewed. The results of meta-analysis revealed that GLM resulted in significantly shorter operating time [MD=-10.34, 95% CI (-18.12,-2.56), P<0.00001], shorter hospital stay [MD=-0.47, 95% CI (-0.88,-0.06)], less time to flatus [MD=-2.04, 95% CI (-2.59,-1.48)], less postoperative complications [OR=0.20, 95% CI (0.06, 0.62)] and less blood loss [MD =-30.74, 95% CI (-47.50,-13.98)]. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in duration of post-operative fever [MD=-0.52, 95% CI (-1.46, 0.42)] between the two groups. Additionally, GLM was associated with lower febrile morbidity, lower postoperative abdominal pain, and higher postoperative hemoglobin than other minimally invasive procedures for the treatment of uterine leiomyoma. In conclusion, GLM and other minimally invasive procedures are feasible, safe, and reliable for uterine leiomyoma treatment. However, available studies show that GLM is more effective and safer than other minimally invasive approaches.

Hybrid laparoscopic myomectomy: A novel technique

The objective of this study was to report on a new surgical technique, hybrid laparoscopic myomectomy that integrates the advantages of transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site surgery and those of isobaric laparoscopy, and the initial experience with 14 cases. All of the procedures were performed by a single surgeon who has over 18 years of experience in laparoscopic surgery and 4 years of experience in laparoendoscopic single-site surgery. All cases of hybrid laparoscopic myomectomy were completed safely and effectively without conversion to conventional laparoscopic procedure. The median operative time was 75 minutes (range, 30 to 100 minutes). No postoperative complication was observed. The findings show that hybrid laparoscopic myomectomy is a safe and feasible surgical technique, and therefore can be a feasible, minimally invasive alternative to either abdominal or laparoendoscopic single-site surgery myomectomy.

The prevalence of occult leiomyosarcoma at surgery for presumed uterine fibroids: a meta-analysis

There is a concern regarding the risk of occult leiomyosarcomas found at surgery for presumed benign fibroids. We sought to produce a comprehensive review of published data addressing this issue and provide high-quality prevalence estimates for clinical practice and future research. A comprehensive literature search using the PubMed/MEDLINE database and the Cochrane Library was performed. Inclusion criteria were human studies, peer-reviewed, with original data, involving cases for surgery in which fibroid-related indications were the primary reason for surgery, and histopathology was provided. Candidate studies (4864) were found; 3844 were excluded after review of the abstract. The remaining 1020 manuscripts were reviewed in their entirety, and 133 were included in the Bayesian binomial random effect meta-analysis. The estimated rate of leiomyosarcoma was 0.51 per 1000 procedures (95 % credible interval (CrI) 0.16–0.98) or approximately 1 in 2000. Restricting the meta-analysis to the 64 prospective studies resulted in a substantially lower estimate of 0.12 leiomyosarcomas per 1000 procedures (95 % CrI <0.01–0.75) or approximately 1 leiomyosarcoma per 8300 surgeries. Results suggest that the prevalence of occult leiomyosarcomas at surgery for presumed uterine fibroids is much less frequent than previously estimated. This rate should be incorporated into both clinical practice and future research.

Transversus abdominis plane block associated with locoregional anesthesia with a laparotenser for gynecologic surgery in an awake state

The laparotenser instrument is used to perform isobaric laparoscopy to avoid adverse effects in the pneumoperitoneum. To decrease hospitalization time and increase the rate of same-day discharge, we investigated the safety of isobaric laparoscopy using the Laparotenser, a new subcutaneous abdominal wall-lifting system, with transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block combined with locoregional anesthesia (subarachnoid, peridural, spino-peridural) for patients undergoing minor and major gynecologic surgeries. With this combination of anesthetics, TAP block enabled us to anesthetize the supraumbilical region while the pelvic region was covered by locoregional anesthesia. We describe our experience with TAP blockade associated with locoregional anesthesia during gasless laparoscopy. We performed ultrasound-guided TAP block with ropivacaine 0.25% 20 mL to cover the supraumbilical region in association with locoregional anesthesia (lumbar subarachnoid-peridural-spinoperidural) and bupivacaine 0.5% (10 mg/3 mL) to cover the lower pelvic region. Successful outcome was reported in 81.3% (13/16) of the patients.

Gasless Laparoscopy versus Conventional Laparoscopy in Uterine Myomectomy: A Single-Centre Randomized Trial

In a single-centre, randomized trial, gasless laparoscopic myomectomy was compared with conventional laparoscopic myomectomy. The study examined feasibility, safety, reliability and post-operative outcomes. Estimated blood loss, duration of surgery, early post-operative outcomes and length of hospital stay were recorded. Compared with conventional laparoscopic myomectomy, gasless laparoscopy resulted in significantly lower intra-operative blood loss (median 100 ml vs 80 ml, respectively) and duration of surgery (median 94 min vs 71 min, respectively). Post-operative abdominal drainage volume was significantly lower after gasless laparoscopy than after conventional laparoscopy (median 100 ml vs 240 ml). There was no significant difference between duration of post-operative fever, post-operative time to flatus or length of hospital stay. Both forms of laparoscopy are suitable for uterine myomectomy, and comparison of these methods showed that gasless laparoscopy had potential advantages over conventional laparoscopy.