Introduction of gasless laparoscopic surgery as a minimally invasive procedure for endometrial cancer and its usefulness from the viewpoint of the learning curve

Factors affecting gasless reduced-port laparoscopic myomectomy (GRP-LM) using a subcutaneous abdominal wall lifting method: a retrospective analysis of a large cohort of 966 cases in Japan

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the usefulness of gasless reduced-port laparoscopic myomectomy (GRP-LM) using a subcutaneous abdominal wall lifting method.

METHODS

In GRP-LM, after lifting the abdominal wall by a subcutaneous abdominal wall lifting method, a 1.5-cm incision is made in the lateral abdomen, Lap Protector® is placed. The operation is performed by two surgeons, one who inserts multiple forceps from the Lap Protector and performs the operation, and an assistant who operates the laparoscope and uterine manipulator. The surgical outcome of GRP-LM and the factors that affect it were investigated.

RESULTS

GRP-LM was performed in 966 patients. Complications (0.5%) and blood transfusions (0.3%) were remarkably rare, and there were no cases of conversion to open surgery. With regard to the correlation between the number of fibroids extracted and each factor, the number of fibroids extracted correlated with fibroid weight and operation time, but not with blood loss. The average number of sutures per case was 21, and the average suture and ligation time per suture was 77 s. Comparing the cost of GRP-LM with that of the conventional insufflation LM, a saving of $875 was possible with GRP-LM.

CONCLUSION

GRP-LM is a suitable for multiple fibroids, and is cosmetic and economical, because it allows rapid and reliable suture and ligation, despite having only one port for the procedure.

A phase III randomized clinical trial comparing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy based on open state with abdominal radical hysterectomy in patients with early-stage cervical cancer

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women, The standard treatment recommendation for women with early cervical cancer is radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection, however, articles published in recent years have concluded that the treatment outcome of laparoscopic surgery for cervical cancer is inferior to that of open surgery. Thus, we choose a surgically new approach; the laparoscopic cervical cancer surgery in the open state is compared with the traditional open cervical cancer surgery, and we hope that patients can still have a good tumor outcome and survival outcome. This trial will investigate the effectiveness of laparoscopic cervical cancer surgery in the open-state treatment of early-stage cervical cancer.

METHOD AND DESIGN

This will be an open-label, 2-armed, randomized, phase-III single-center trial of comparing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy based on open state with abdominal radical hysterectomy in patients with early-stage cervical cancer. A total of 740 participants will be randomly assigned into 2 treatment arms in a 1:1 ratio. Clinical, laboratory, ultrasound, and radiology data will be collected at baseline, and then at the study assessments and procedures performed at baseline and 1 week, 6 weeks, and 3 months, and follow-up visits begin at 3 months following surgery and continue every 3 months thereafter for the first 2 years and every 6 months until year 4.5. The primary aim is the rate of disease-free survival at 4.5 years. The secondary aims include treatment-related morbidity, costs and cost-effectiveness, patterns of recurrence, quality of life, pelvic floor function, and overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

This prospective trial aims to show the equivalence of the laparoscopic cervical cancer surgery in the open state versus the transabdominal radical hysterectomy approach for patients with early-stage cervical cancer following a 2-phase protocol.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ChiCTR2300075118. Registered on August 25, 2023.

Gasless transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery for hysterectomy and salpingectomy on a robot platform with flexible devices in a porcine model

In this report, we described a new technique of gasless V-NOTES for hysterectomy and salpingectomy on a robotic platform with flexible devices in a porcine model. As a result, the gynecological procedures were successfully completed. The total operative time was 110 min, while the docking time was 10 min. The estimated blood loss was estimated to be 10 mL with no intraoperative complications. It revealed that gasless V-NOTES for hysterectomy and salpingectomy on a robotic platform with flexible devices appeared to be feasible and safe in the porcine model and has the potential for clinical use in human beings.

Impact of surgical approach on progress of disease by type of histology in stage IA endometrial cancer: a matched-pair analysis

BACKGROUND

To compare the impact of surgical approach on progression free survival (PFS) stratified by histologic type in women diagnosed with stage IA endometrial cancer.

METHODS

Myometrial invasion is classified into no myometrial invasion, <50% and ≥50%, with only no myometrial invasion and <50% are included in stage IA patients. A retrospective study is designed by collecting data from women diagnosed as stage IA endometrial cancer from January 2010 to December 2019 in a tertiary hospital. A propensity score is conducted for 1:1 matching in the low-risk histologic patients. Progression free survival and disease-specific survival data are evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by the log-rank test in both the whole population and the matched-pair groups. A sub-group analysis is performed to figure out risk factors associated with the effect of surgical approach on PFS and disease-specific survival (DSS).

RESULTS

534 (84.49%) low-risk histologic endometrial cancer women, with 389 (72.85%) operated by minimally invasive surgery and 145 (27.15%) by open approach, and 98 (15.51%) high-risk histology, with 71 (72.45%) by laparoscopy and 27 (27.55%) by open surgery, are included. Compared to open surgery, laparoscopy results in lower progression free survival in low-risk patients before and after matching (p = 0.039 and p = 0.033, respectively), but shows no difference in high-risk patients (p = 0.519). Myometrial invasion is associated with lower progression free survival in laparoscopy in low-risk histology (p = 0.027).

CONCLUSION

Surgical approaches influence progression free survival in stage IA low-risk histologic diseases, especially in those with myometrial invasion, but not in high-risk histologic endometrial cancer.

Should laparoscopy be revisited in the management of stage II endometrial cancer in the post-LACC era?

BACKGROUND

A recent randomized trial showed that laparoscopy had poorer outcomes compared with open surgery for early-stage cervical cancer. Whether this is of concern in endometrial cancer, when the cervix is involved has received little attention. This study aimed to investigate whether there is any difference on overall and cancer specific survival between patients treated with laparoscopy and laparotomy for stage II endometrial cancer.

METHODS

Data from patients with histologically proven stage II endometrial cancer who were treated between 2010 and 2019 in a single cancer center were reviewed. Demographic, histopathological characteristics and treatment modalities were recorded. Recurrence rate, cancer specific and overall survival were compared between patients that were treated with laparoscopic and open surgery.

RESULTS

From 47 patients with stage II disease, 33 (70%) were treated with laparoscopy and 14 (30%) with open surgery. There was no difference on age (P=0.86), BMI (P=0.76), Comorbidity Index Score (P=0.96), upstaging/upgrading after surgery (P=0.41), performance of lymphadenectomy (P=0.74), histological type (P=0.32), LVSI (P=0.15), depth of myometrial invasion (P=0.07), postoperative hospital stay (P=0.18) and administration of adjuvant treatment (P=0.11) between the two groups. Recurrence rate (P=0.756), overall (P=0.606) and cancer specific survival (P=0.564) were also comparable between laparoscopy and laparotomy groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic and open surgery seem to have comparable outcomes for stage II endometrial cancer. The oncological safety of laparoscopy for stage II endometrial cancer should be further investigated with a randomized controlled trial.