Health-related quality of life following hysterectomy by vNOTES versus conventional laparoscopy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate safety, efficacy, pre- and postoperative outcomes of vNOTES hysterectomy compared to conventional laparoscopic (CL) hysterectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective study was conducted on patients who underwent CL or vNOTES hysterectomy for benign gynecological indications between January and July 2021. Sociodemographic, clinical, and surgical data were collected. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes were evaluated using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 228 patients (CL vs. vNOTES: 147 vs. 81) were included. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of blood loss, uterine weight, complications, length of hospital stay, and readmission rate. Patients in the vNOTES group experienced significantly less postoperative pain and required less analgesia compared to those who underwent CL hysterectomy (p < 0.001). The CL group had a shorter operative time (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference between the two groups in the EQ-5D-5L pain/discomfort dimension (p = 0.047). CONCLUSION: This research showed that vNOTES has various advantages, such as less postoperative pain, reduced analgesic usage, and better HRQoL outcomes three months after surgery.

Transvaginal natural orifice endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) for elderly patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) in patients 70 years and over. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study consisted of eleven patients aged 70 and over who underwent vNOTES for a variety of gynaecological indications at a tertiary referral hospital. The medical and surgical data were noted: age, parity, history of comorbidity, number and type of previous surgeries, body mass index (BMI), operating time, the requirement of intraoperative conversion, the presence of intra- or postoperative complication, estimated blood loss, pre-and postoperative hemoglobin levels, visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores at 6th, 12th and 24th hours, length of hospital stay, and the final pathology results. RESULTS: vNOTES surgery was performed safely and successfully in eleven patients. There were no intra- and postoperative complications or instances of conversions to conventional laparoscopy or laparotomy. The mean age of patients was 75.91 ± 6.47 (range 70-93), and the mean BMI was 42.49 ± 8.77 kg/m2 (range 30.2-56). Seven cases of endometrioid adenocarcinoma, two cases of uterine leiomyoma, one case of complex atypical hyperplasia, and one case of postmenopausal uterine bleeding due to atrophic endometrium were diagnosed. All endometrial carcinomas were early stage; no adjuvant therapy was needed. CONCLUSIONS: vNOTES seems to be a safe and feasible approach for the treatment of gynecologic pathologies in elderly patients. This study suggests that vNOTES become a viable treatment option for existing minimally invasive procedures since it offers better surgical outcomes in various gynecologic surgeries.