Laparoscopic versus abdominal hysterectomy for endometrial cancer: comparison of patient outcomes

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.

Comparative Study of Laparoscopic versus Conventional Open Surgical Staging Procedure for Endometrial Cancer: Our Institutional Experience

Objective:

The aim of this study was to compare laparoscopic surgical staging of endometrial cancer with conventional open methods.

Materials and Methods:

The retrospective data were collected from 90 endometrial cancer patients who were operated between 2013 and 2018 in our government institution. The safety and morbidity of the two groups were compared based on mean operative time, blood loss, intraoperative complications, postoperative complication, etc., and the results were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS statistics version 20. Clinical and pathologic factors were compared between two groups with Fisher's exact test and Student's t-test for data analysis. The survival data were analyzed using Kaplan–Meier survival curves. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

Thirty-two patients underwent laparoscopic staging, 45 underwent laparotomy, and 13 cases lap converted to open surgery. The mean operative time for the laparoscopic procedure was lower than the open procedure (P = 0.001). The mean hospital stay of patients who underwent laparoscopic staging was around 7.1 days significantly less compared to the laparotomy group. Intraoperative blood loss of patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery was significantly less than that of the laparotomy group (P = 0.015). There was no statistically significant difference in nodal retrieval between laparotomy and laparoscopy group (P = 0.172). The mean duration of hospitalization was statistically significantly greater in the laparotomy group than the laparoscopic group (13 and 7 days, P < 0.001). Based on the Kaplan–Meier survival curve, there was no difference in survival rates between the groups. Median follow-up duration was 32 months.

Conclusion:

Laparoscopic surgical staging is oncologically safe for the management of endometrial cancer with acceptable morbidity compared to the open approach with far less blood loss and shorter postoperative stay.

Association between Obesity, Surgical Route, and Perioperative Outcomes in Patients with Uterine Cancer

Objective

To study temporal trends of hysterectomy routes performed for uterine cancer and their associations with body mass index (BMI) and perioperative morbidity.

Methods

A retrospective review of the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) 2005-2013 databases was conducted. All patients who were 18 years old and older with a diagnosis of uterine cancer and underwent hysterectomy were identified using ICD-9-CM and CPT codes. Surgical route was classified into four groups: total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), total vaginal hysterectomy (TVH), laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH), and total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) including both conventional and robotically assisted. Patients were then stratified according to BMI.

Results

7199 records were included in the study. TLH was the most commonly performed route of hysterectomy regardless of BMI, with proportions of 50.9%, 48.9%, 50.4%, and 51.2% in ideal, overweight, obese, and morbidly obese patients, respectively. The median operative time for TAH was 2.2 hours compared to 2.7 hours for TLH (p < 0.01). The median length of stay for TAH was 3 days compared to 1 day for TLH (p < 0.01). The percentage of patients with an adverse outcome (composite indicator including transfusion, deep venous thrombosis, and infection) was 17.1 versus 3.7 for TAH and TLH, respectively (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

During the last decade, TLH has been increasingly performed in women with uterine cancer. The increased adoption of TLH was seen in all BMI subgroups.

A population-based registry study evaluating surgery in newly diagnosed uterine cancer

INTRODUCTION

The aim was to evaluate surgical treatment of newly diagnosed uterine cancer in a Swedish population.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Data in the GynOp registry from 2008 to 2014 were analyzed.

RESULTS

In total, 3443 cases were included: 430 (12%) were robotic-assisted laparoscopic, 272 (8%) laparoscopic, and 2741 (80%) abdominal operations. There was an increasing trend in minimally invasive surgery from 2008 to 2014 (41%). Women with lymph nodes removed in the robotic-assisted laparoscopic group experienced less blood loss (mean 105 vs. 377 mL), shorter length of hospital stay (2.4 vs. 4.1 days), and fewer days to normal activities of daily living (6.5 vs. 12.7 days) (all p < 0.001) compared with the abdominal group, but operating time did not differ. Similar results were found in women with no lymph node removal and in women with body mass index ≥35. Major complications during hospital stay, reoperations, and time to work were less in both minimally invasive groups. More lymph nodes were retrieved in the abdominal (mean 34.4) than in the robotic-assisted laparoscopic (mean 26.0) group, but the number of women with lymph node metastases did not differ, totaling 211/960 (21.9%; 95% CI 19.4-24.7%). Isolated para-aortic lymph node metastases were found in 3.9% (95% CI 2.4-5.6%) of women.

CONCLUSIONS

Minimally invasive surgery in uterine cancer patients reduces days to normal activities of daily living, number of days to return to work, length of hospital stay, and blood loss in patients without and with lymph node dissection and in obese patients.

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.

Lymphoceles, lymphorrhea, and lymphedema after laparoscopic and open endometrial cancer staging

PURPOSE

To evaluate the incidence of lymphoceles, lymphorrhea, and lymphedema after systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy in patients who underwent laparoscopic or open abdominal staging for endometrial cancer.

METHODS

A total of 138 consecutive women who underwent systematic laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy for endometrial cancer staging were compared to 123 historical control subjects staged via an open approach. Postoperative screening for lymphadenectomy-related complications by ultrasound was consistently performed.

RESULTS

The incidence of perioperative complications was lower in cases than in control subjects. Overall, lymphoceles were diagnosed in 19 (15.4%) and 2 (1.4%) patients who had open and laparoscopic staging, respectively (odds ratio 12.42; 95% confidence interval 2.82-54.55; P < 0.0001). Symptomatic lymphoceles were more frequent after open staging than after laparoscopy (P = 0.028). Lymphorrhea occurred in 1 and 4 patients after laparoscopic and open surgery (P = 0.19). No difference in the incidence of lymphedema was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that laparoscopic endometrial cancer staging is associated with a lower occurrence of both asymptomatic and symptomatic lymphoceles compared to open surgery.

Single-port access laparoscopic staging operation for a borderline ovarian tumor

Minimally invasive surgery is widely used in benign gynecologic diseases and may be used in malignancies. We performed a single-port access laparoscopy staging - bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy, bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy, infracolic omentectomy, and washing cytology - in a borderline ovarian tumor. The number of harvested pelvic lymph nodes were twenty-three and there were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. Single-port access laparoscopic staging may be performed in selected patients. The efficacy, safety, and potential benefits of this technique should be evaluated in further trials.

Analgesic and antiemetic needs following minimally invasive vs open staging for endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

We sought to assess perioperative outcomes of minimally invasive vs open endometrial cancer staging procedures.

STUDY DESIGN

A total of 181 consecutive patients underwent open or minimally invasive hysterectomy with or without lymphadenectomy. Perioperative outcomes, analgesic, and antiemetic use were compared.

RESULTS

In all, 97 and 84 women underwent open and minimally invasive staging procedures, respectively. In the open staging group, median anesthesia time was shorter (197 vs 288 minutes; P < .0001), but recovery room stay (168 vs 140 minutes; P = .01) and hospital stay (4 vs 1 day; P < .0001) were longer. Median narcotic (13 vs 43 mg morphine equivalents; P < .0001) and antiemetic (43% vs 25%; P = .01) use were lower for minimally invasive surgery in the first 24 hours postoperatively. Median estimated blood loss was lower for minimally invasive procedures (100 vs 300 mL; P < .0001).

CONCLUSION

Minimally invasive staging for endometrial cancer is associated with lower use of narcotics and antiemetics, and shorter hospital stay compared to open procedures.