Feasibility, morbidity, and safety of total laparoscopic radical hysterectomy with lymphadenectomy: our experience.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate, in a series of 65 patients, the feasibility, morbidity, and safety of total laparoscopic radical hysterectomy with lymphadenectomy for early cervical carcinoma.

DESIGN: Retrospective, nonrandomized study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

SETTING: Advanced Gynecological Endoscopy Center, Malzoni Medical Center, Avellino, Italy.

PATIENTS: Sixty-five nonconsecutive patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage Ia1 with lymphvascular space involvement, Ia2, and Ib1 early cervical cancer.

INTERVENTION: Fourteen patients underwent a laparoscopic class II procedure, and 51 patients underwent a class III procedure according to the Piver classification. All the patients underwent total laparoscopic radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy during the study period, and none of the surgeries required conversion to laparotomy. Paraaortic lymphadenectomy is not routinely performed unless suspicious pelvic lymph nodes are confirmed to have metastatic disease on frozen section evaluation.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Fifty-six patients had squamous cell carcinoma; 7 patients had adenocarcinomas, and 2 had adenosquamous carcinoma. The mean age was 40.5 years (95% CI 27.7-69.1) and the SD was +/- 7.5. The median weight was 56.2 kg (range 44-75 kg). The median operative time was 196 minutes (range 182-240 minutes), and the surgical margins were free of disease in all cases. The median blood loss was 55 mL (range 30-80 mL). No patient required an intraoperative blood transfusion. The median length of hospital stay was 4 days (range 3-7 days).

CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic treatment of cervical cancer offers patients the potential benefits of decreased discomfort with decreased convalescence time, but it should be reserved for oncologic surgeons trained in extensive laparoscopic procedures.