Which Is the Best Surgical Approach for Female-to-Male Sexual Reassignment? A Systematic Review of Hysterectomy and Salpingo-Oophorectomy Options from the Gynecological Perspective.

Background and Objectives: Transgender people are defined as individuals whose gender identity does not entirely match their sex assigned at birth. Gender surgery typically represents the conclusive and irreversible step in the therapeutic process, especially for the impact on the reproductive sphere. The increased awareness of gender dysphoria and the expanding array of medical and surgical options, including minimally invasive techniques, contribute to the gradual increase in the social impact of transgender surgery. There are several surgical techniques for "gender assignment", such as vaginal, laparotomic, laparoscopic, and robotic, and the novel approach of vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery to perform a hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO). The purpose of this review is to assess the various surgical approaches (hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy) for gender reassignment in order to determine the best option in clinical practice for the female-to-male population in terms of surgical outcomes such as operative time, surgical complication, hospital discharge, postoperative pain, and bleeding. Materials and Methods: This systematic review includes studies from 2007 to 2024. Special consideration was given to articles documenting the characteristics and management of female-to-male reassignment surgery. Finally, eight papers were included in this review. Results: The literature analysis considered surgical techniques ranging from traditional surgery to innovative methods like vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery and robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy. Vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery and the robotic approach offer potential benefits such as reduced postoperative pain and shorter hospital stays. While vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery may encounter challenges due to narrow access and smaller vaginal dimensions, robotic single-site hysterectomy may face instrument conflict. Conclusions: The conventional laparoscopic approach remains widely used, demonstrating safety and efficacy. Overall, this review underscores the evolving landscape of surgical techniques for gender affirmation and emphasizes the necessity for personalized approaches to meet the specific needs of transgender patients.

Transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (VNOTES) retroperitoneal sentinel lymph node BIOPSY compared with conventional laparoscopy in patients with endometrial cancer.

INTRODUCTION: To explore the possibility of treatment with VNOTES sentinel lymph node dissection concept in patients with endometrial cancer. METHODS: Patients who underwent VNOTES sentinel lymph node biopsy with the Comba modification were compared to patients who underwent conventional laparoscopic sentinel lymph node biopsy performed by the same surgical team. A total of 38 patients who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy + total laparoscopic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) were compared with 19 patients who underwent VNOTES retroperitoneal sentinel lymph node biopsy + hysterectomy and BSO. Surgical steps were described. RESULTS: The average operation time, perioperative blood loss, the number of sentinel lymph nodes, presence of complications, and preoperative-postoperative hemoglobin-hematocrit differences, tumor stages, grades, largest tumor diameter, depths of invasion, and histological subtypes were similar in both the VNOTES and conventional laparoscopy groups. The postoperative pain scores were lower and the hospital stay was shorter in the VNOTES group than in the conventional laparoscopy group. No disease recurrence had been detected in either group at the time of writing. CONCLUSION: Compared to conventional laparoscopy, sentinel lymph node biopsy with the VNOTES technique provides similar surgical results and is more advantageous in terms of postoperative pain and hospital length of stay.

Management strategy for children with ovarian immature teratoma: results from a tertiary pediatric oncology center.

OBJECTIVES: We present an Egyptian study on pediatric ovarian immature teratomas (ITs), aiming to clarify our treatment strategy selection. METHODS: A retrospective review of all children with pure ovarian ITs who were treated at our institution between 2008 and 2023. The analysis included clinical characteristics, tumor staging according to Children's Oncology Group (COG), grading based on the Norris system, management, and outcomes. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients were included, with a median age of 9 years. All patients underwent primary surgery. Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed in 31 patients. Surgical staging was completed in all patients. Based on COG staging, there were 28 patients (87.5%) stage I, 1 (3%) stage II, and 3 (9.5%) stage III. According to Norris classification, 16 patients (50%) were classified as grade I, 9 (28%) grade II, and 7 (22%) grade III. All patients in stage I were treated using surgery-alone approach, whereas the remaining four (12.5%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. Five patients in stage I had gliomatosis peritonei (GP), and none of them underwent extensive surgery. At a median follow-up of 86 months, two patients had events. The first patient (stage III/grade I) developed IT relapse on the operative bed, and the second (stage I/grade I) had a metachronous IT on the contralateral ovary. Both patients were successfully managed with surgery followed by second-line chemotherapy. Five-year overall survival and event-free survival for all patients were 100% and 93.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery-alone strategy with close follow-up achieves excellent outcomes for localized ovarian ITs in children, irrespective of the Norris grading or the presence of GP. However, adjuvant chemotherapy is questionable for patients with incompletely resected or locally advanced tumors, and its role requires further evaluation through prospective multicentric studies with a larger sample size.

Hysterectomy Techniques and Outcomes for Benign Large Uteri: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the optimal hysterectomy approach for large uteri in gynecologic surgery for benign indications from a perioperative morbidity standpoint. DATA SOURCES: PubMed and Embase databases were searched from inception through September 19, 2022. Meta-analyses were conducted as feasible. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: This review included studies that compared routes of hysterectomy with or without bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for large uteri (12 weeks or more or 250 g or more) and excluded studies with any concurrent surgery for pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence, gynecologic malignancy, or any obstetric indication for hysterectomy. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: The review included 25 studies comprising nine randomized trials, two prospective, and 14 retrospective nonrandomized comparative studies. Studies were at high risk of bias. There was lower operative time for total vaginal hysterectomy compared with laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) (mean difference 39 minutes, 95% CI, 18-60) and total vaginal hysterectomy compared with total laparoscopic hysterectomy (mean difference 50 minutes, 95% CI, 29-70). Total laparoscopic hysterectomy was associated with much greater risk of ureteral injury compared with total vaginal hysterectomy (odds ratio 7.54, 95% CI, 2.52-22.58). There were no significant differences in bowel injury rates between groups. There were no differences in length of stay among the laparoscopic approaches. For LAVH compared with total vaginal hysterectomy, randomized controlled trials favored total vaginal hysterectomy for length of stay. When rates of blood transfusion were compared between these abdominal hysterectomy and robotic-assisted total hysterectomy routes, abdominal hysterectomy was associated with a sixfold greater risk of transfusion than robotic-assisted total hysterectomy (6.31, 95% CI, 1.07-37.32). Similarly, single studies comparing robotic-assisted total hysterectomy with LAVH, total laparoscopic hysterectomy, or total vaginal hysterectomy all favored robotic-assisted total hysterectomy for reduced blood loss. CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive routes are safe and effective and have few complications. Minimally invasive approach (vaginal, laparoscopic, or robotic) results in lower blood loss and shorter length of stay, whereas the abdominal route has a shorter operative time. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, CRD42021233300.

The Effects of a Laparoscopy by Single-Port Endoscopic Access in Benign Adnexal Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) offers advantages over conventional laparoscopy (CL) in benign adnexal surgery. DESIGN: Randomized controlled study. SETTING: Gynecology-Obstetrics Unit of the University Hospital of the Conception in Marseille, France. PATIENTS: Patients older than 18 years requiring ovarian cystectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy by laparoscopy for symptomatic ovarian cysts requiring benign or prophylactic surgery. INTERVENTIONS: In the case of ovarian cysts, premenopausal patients typically undergo a unilateral cystectomy, whereas postmenopausal patients undergo a unilateral or bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy upon a patient's request. In cases requiring prophylactic surgery, a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed. All participants were randomly assigned to either the LESS or the CL group. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patients in both groups reported similar levels of pain at 24 hours: Simple Numerical Scale was 1.3 (standard deviation, 1.5) in the LESS group vs 1.7 (standard deviation, 1.5) in the CL group (p = .12), and there were no significant differences in postoperative pain at 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, and 7 days. Furthermore, there was no difference in analgesic consumption. Regarding intraoperative criteria, the only difference was the longer operating time in the LESS group than the CL group. We also found that patients' satisfaction with their scar at 1 month may be higher with LESS than with CL. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference between the 2 techniques in postoperative pain, although the LESS technique necessitated a longer operative time than the CL technique, while providing better aesthetic result patients.

Total vNOTES hysterectomy versus conventional total laparoscopic hysterectomy in virgin transgender men.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Comparison of the applicability, safety, and surgical outcomes of total vaginal NOTES hysterectomy (TVNH) using natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery, which is considered a natural orifice surgery for hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (HBSO) in virgin transgender men, with conventional total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted between 2019 and 2021. The results of transgender male individuals who underwent HBSO operations using TVNH (n = 21) were compared with those who underwent operations using TLH (n = 62). RESULTS: TVNH was performed in 21 individuals, while TLH was performed in 62 individuals. Patients in the TVNH approach group had a longer operation duration than those in the TLH group (p = .001). Patients in the TVNH group experienced less pain at two hours (5 ± 1.56), six hours (4 ± 1.57), 12 h (2 ± 0.91), and 24 h (1 ± 0.62) postoperatively (p = .001). The postoperative hospitalization duration was shorter in the TVNH group (1.6 ± 1.01) than in the TLH group (2.9 ± 0.5) (p = .001). CONCLUSIONS: For the HBSO operation of female-to-male transgender individuals, TVNH, which is completely endoscopically performed, can be preferred and safely conducted as an alternative surgical method to conventional laparoscopy.

Combined Bilateral Salpingo-oophorectomy and Cesarean Delivery in BRCA1/2 Alteration Carriers : A Case Series.

BACKGROUND: The cumulative lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 16-68% and 11-30% in female BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene alteration carriers, respectively. Risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) is the only proven way to reduce ovarian cancer mortality. We report a series of patients who underwent risk-reducing surgery at the time of planned obstetric-indicated cesarean delivery. CASES: This is a case series of four women carrying a pathogenic germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene alteration who underwent RRSO at the time of cesarean delivery between March 1, 2018, and March 31, 2022. All women were referred during pregnancy to the University College London Hospitals Familial Cancer Clinic for consideration of RRSO at the time of obstetric-indicated cesarean delivery. Women were considered eligible for RRSO if they had a proven pathogenic germline alteration, would have completed childbearing after the cesarean delivery, and were older than age 35 or 40 years with BRCA1 or BRCA2 alterations, respectively. Operating time, blood loss, transfusion requirements, length of hospital stay, complications, and ability to breastfeed were assessed and, where possible, compared with the institutional means for similar patients who underwent cesarean delivery only, to determine whether RRSO was associated with increased morbidity. Women were contacted 11-59 months postprocedure to assess satisfaction. The mean blood loss was 687 mL (range 400-1,000 mL), mean operating time was 68 minutes, mean length of hospital stay was 3 days, and mean change in hemoglobin was -1 g/dL. No patient required a transfusion, had internal organ damage, returned to the operating room, or was readmitted. One of two women with intact breast tissue successfully breastfed, and the other chose to bottle feed. The mean contemporaneous institutional blood loss for cesarean delivery was not significantly different at 681 mL for singleton pregnancies and 872 mL for twin pregnancies. All four women reported a high level of satisfaction with the combined procedure. CONCLUSION: Our results show that RRSO can be performed at the time of cesarean delivery with high patient satisfaction. This approach can be offered to appropriately counseled individuals, with the benefit of avoiding the need for two separate procedures, with potentially reduced patient morbidity and health care costs.

Changes in Bone Density in Carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 Pathogenic Variants After Salpingo-Oophorectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) on change in bone mineral density (BMD) in women aged 34-50 years with pathogenic variants in BRCA1 or BRCA2 ( BRCA1 /2). METHODS: The PROSper (Prospective Research of Outcomes after Salpingo-oophorectomy) study is a prospective cohort of women aged 34-50 years with BRCA1 or two germline pathogenic variants that compares health outcomes after RRSO to a non-RRSO control group with ovarian conservation. Women aged 34-50 years, who were planning either RRSO or ovarian conservation, were enrolled for 3 years of follow-up. Spine and total hip BMD were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans obtained at baseline before RRSO or at the time of enrollment for the non-RRSO group, and then at 1 and 3 years of study follow-up. Differences in BMD between the RRSO and non-RRSO groups, as well as the association between hormone use and BMD, were determined by using mixed effects multivariable linear regression models. RESULTS: Of 100 PROSper participants, 91 obtained DXA scans (RRSO group: 40; non-RRSO group: 51). Overall, total spine, and hip BMD decreased significantly from baseline to 12 months after RRSO (estimated percent change -3.78%, 95% CI -6.13% to -1.43% for total spine; -2.96%, 95% CI -4.79% to -1.14% for total hip) and at 36 months (estimated percent change -5.71%, 95% CI -8.64% to -2.77% for total spine; -5.19%, 95% CI -7.50% to -2.87% for total hip. In contrast, total spine and hip BMD were not significantly different from baseline for the non-RRSO group. The differences in mean percent change in BMD from baseline between the RRSO and non-RRSO groups were statistically significant at both 12 and 36 months for spine BMD (12-month difference -4.49%, 95% CI -7.67% to -1.31%; 36-month difference -7.06%, 95% CI -11.01% to -3.11%) and at 36 months for total hip BMD (12-month difference -1.83%, 95% CI -4.23% to 0.56%; 36-month difference -5.14%, 95% CI -8.11% to -2.16%). Across the study periods, hormone use was associated with significantly less bone loss at both the spine and hip within the RRSO group compared with no hormone use ( P <.001 at both 12 months and 36 months) but did not completely prevent bone loss (estimated percent change from baseline at 36 months -2.79%, 95% CI -5.08% to -0.51% for total spine BMD; -3.93%, 95% CI -7.27% to -0.59% for total hip BMD). CONCLUSION: Women with pathogenic variants in BRCA1 /2 who undergo RRSO before the age of 50 years have greater bone loss after surgery that is clinically significant when compared with those who retain their ovaries. Hormone use mitigates, but does not eliminate, bone loss after RRSO. These results suggest that women who undergo RRSO may benefit from routine screening for BMD changes to identify opportunities for prevention and treatment of bone loss. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT01948609.

Adherence to risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy guidelines among gynecologic oncologists compared to general gynecologists.

BACKGROUND: Risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy reduces mortality from high-grade serous carcinoma in patients with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer associated gene mutations. Ideal surgical management includes 5 steps outlined in 2005 by the Society of Gynecologic Oncology and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In addition, it is recommended that pathologic examination include serial sectioning of specimens. In practice, risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy is performed by both gynecologic oncologists and general gynecologists. To ensure optimal detection of occult malignancy, standardized adherence to outlined guidelines is necessary. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the adherence to optimal surgical and pathologic examination guidelines and to compare the rate of occult malignancy at the time of surgery between 2 provider types. STUDY DESIGN: Institutional review board exemption was obtained. A retrospective review of patients undergoing risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy without hysterectomy from October 1, 2015, to December 31, 2020, at 3 sites within a healthcare system was conducted. The inclusion criteria included age ≥18 years and a documented indication for surgery being a mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 or a strong family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer. Compliance with 5 surgical steps and pathologic specimen preparation was based on medical record documentation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine differences in adherence between provider groups and surgical and pathologic examination guidelines. A P value of <.025 was considered statistically significant for the 2 primary outcomes after Bonferroni correction was applied to adjust for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: A total of 185 patients were included. Among the 96 cases performed by gynecologic oncologists, 69 (72%) performed all 5 steps of surgery, 22 (23%) performed 4 steps, 5 (5%) performed 3 steps, and none performed 1 or 2 steps. Among the 89 cases performed by general gynecologists, 4 (5%) performed all 5 steps, 33 (37%) performed 4 steps, 38 (43%) performed 3 steps, 13 (15%) performed 2 steps, and 1 (1%) performed 1 step. Gynecologic oncologists were more likely to document adherence to all 5 recommended surgical steps in their surgical dictation (odds ratio, 54.3; 95% confidence interval, 18.1-162.7; P<.0001). Among the 96 cases documented by gynecologic oncologists, 41 (43%) had serial sectioning of all specimens performed, compared with 23 of 89 cases (26%) performed by general gynecologists. No difference in adherence to pathologic guidelines was identified between the 2 provider groups (P=.0489; note: P value of >.025). Overall, 5 patients (2.70%) had occult malignancy diagnosed at the time of risk-reducing surgery, with all surgeries performed by general gynecologists. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated greater compliance with surgical guidelines for risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in gynecologic oncologists than in general gynecologists. No considerable difference was determined between the 2 provider types in adherence to pathologic guidelines. Our findings demonstrated a need for institution-wide protocol education and implementation of standardized nomenclature to ensure provider adherence to evidence-based guidelines.

Patient and Surgery Characteristics of Inpatient Hysterectomies Among Transgender Individuals.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to estimate population-based rates of inpatient hysterectomy and accompanying bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy by indication and evaluate surgical patient characteristics by indication, year, patient age, and hospital location. Methods: We used 2016 and 2017 cross-sectional data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to estimate the hysterectomy rate for individuals aged 18-54 years with a primary indication for gender-affirming care (GAC) compared to other indications. Outcome measures were population-based rates for inpatient hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy by indication. Results: The population-based rate of inpatient hysterectomy for GAC per 100,000 was 0.05 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.02-0.09) in 2016 and 0.09 (95% CI = 0.03-0.15) in 2017. For comparison, the rates per 100,000 for fibroids were 85.76 in 2016 and 73.25 in 2017. Rates of bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in the setting of hysterectomy were higher in the GAC group (86.4%) than in comparison groups (22.7%-44.1% for all other benign indications, 77.4% for cancer) across all age ranges. A higher rate of hysterectomies performed for GAC was done laparoscopically or robotically (63.6%) than other indications, and none was done vaginally, as opposed to comparison groups (0.7%-9.8%). Conclusion: The population-based rate for GAC was higher in 2017 compared to 2016 and low compared to other hysterectomy indications. Rates of concomitant bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were more prevalent for GAC than for other indications at similar ages. The patients in the GAC group tended to be younger, insured, and most procedures occurred in the Northeast (45.5%) and West (36.4%).

Hereditary Women's Cancer: Management and Risk-Reducing Surgery.

Hereditary women's syndromes due to inherited mutations result in an elevated risk of developing gynecological cancers over the lifetime of affected carriers. The BRCA 1 and 2 mutations, Lynch syndrome (LS), and mutations in rare hereditary syndromes increase this risk and require more effective management of these patients based on surveillance and prophylactic surgery. Patients need counseling regarding risk-reducing surgery (RRS) and the time required to perform it, considering the adverse effects of premenopausal surgery and the hormonal effect on quality of life, bone density, sexual activity, and cardiological and vascular diseases. Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) is the gold standard for BRCA-mutated patients. An open question is that of endometrial cancer (EC) risk in patients with BRCA1/2 mutation to justify prophylactic hysterectomy during RRSO surgical procedures. RRS provides a 90-95% risk reduction for ovarian and breast cancer in women who are mutation carriers, but the role of prophylactic hysterectomy is underinvestigated in this setting of patients. In this review, we evaluate the management of the most common hereditary syndromes and the benefits of risk-reducing surgery, particularly exploring the role of prophylactic hysterectomy.

Intention matters: Success rate of bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy at the time of vaginal hysterectomy for pelvic organ prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of successful bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy at the time of vaginal hysterectomy for pelvic organ prolapse and to evaluate associated factors and success rate over time. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective chart review of all women who underwent vaginal hysterectomy for pelvic organ prolapse who were consented for bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy "if possible" and "including extraordinary measures" between 2014 and 2019 at a tertiary medical center. Baseline demographic data along with prolapse stage, operative findings, operative time, and complications were recorded. Univariate analysis using the Pearson's chi-square test, the student's t-test or Mann Whitney U test when appropriate and multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine predictors of successful vaginal bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. RESULTS: A total of 453 eligible patients were included. 420 patients (92.7 %) were consented for bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy "if possible" and 33 patients (7.3 %) were consented for "including extraordinary measures". The success rate of vaginal bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in all patients was 57.9 % (n = 262). Of the patients consented for extraordinary measures, the success rate was 93.9 % (n = 31), compared to a success rate of 55 % (n = 231) in the "if possible" group. A concurrent posterior repair was found to have higher odds of successful bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (adjOR 1.75 [95 % CI = 1.17-2.61]). Successful bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy extended operative time by 14 min (154 min vs 140 min, p < 0.001). Compared to patients in the unsuccessful group, the successful group had a higher proportion of the following indications: a family history of ovarian cancer, personal breast cancer history or patient request for definitive removal. CONCLUSION: When the pre-operative intention to perform bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy at the time of vaginal hysterectomy for pelvic organ prolapse is high, the success rate is nearly 40% higher when compared to an opportunistic procedure. This suggests that success is closely linked to the surgeon's determination to complete this procedure vaginally.

Hormone replacement therapy in BRCA mutation carriers: how shall we do no harm?

Women with a BRCA mutation have an increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is the only effective strategy to reduce this risk. Risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) is recommended between the ages of 35 and 40 for women carriers of BRCA1 and between the ages of 40 and 45 for women carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Most women undergo this procedure prior to their natural menopause subsequently developing an anticipated lack of hormones. This condition affects the quality of life and longevity, while it is more pronounced in women carrying a BRCA1 mutation compared to BRCA2 because they are likely to have surgery earlier. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the only strategy able to significantly compensate for the loss of ovarian hormone production and counteract menopausal symptoms. There is strong evidence that short-term HRT use does not increase the risk of breast cancer among women with a BRCA1 mutation. Few data are available on BRCA2 mutation carriers. Therefore, BRCA mutation carriers require careful counseling about the outcomes of their RRSO, including menopausal symptoms and/or the fear associated with HRT use.

Immature Teratoma in Pregnancy: A Case Report.

Immature teratoma is one of the rare malignant germ cell tumours presented in pregnancy. Here, we present 26-year-old pregnant women who had an incidental finding of left adnexal mass in an anomaly scan at 19 weeks of pregnancy. Laparotomy with peritoneal fluid cytology, left salpingo-oophorectomy and omental biopsy at 20 weeks of pregnancy revealed immature teratoma stage 1A, grade 2 in the histopathology report. However, she followed up with the metastatic mass in the pouch of Douglas at 30 weeks of pregnancy in magnetic resonance imaging despite being counselled for possible chemotherapy and surveillance. A baby with a good Apgar score and grade 3 immature teratoma in the metastatic mass was revealed following the exploratory laparotomy and cesarean section at 36 weeks of pregnancy. Fertility-sparing surgery with chemotherapy during pregnancy for high-grade tumours may result in a good prognosis. Keywords: case reports; chemotherapy; immature teratoma; pregnancy; surgery.

Salpingo-oophorectomy or surveillance for ovarian endometrioma in asymptomatic premenopausal women: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

BACKGROUND: The lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1.9% among women with endometriosis compared with 1.3% among the general population. When an asymptomatic endometrioma is incidentally discovered on imaging, gynecologists must weigh the procedural complications and the potential for subsequent surgical menopause against future ovarian pathology or cancer. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine if performing unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is a more cost-effective strategy for the prevention of death than surveillance for asymptomatic endometriomas. STUDY DESIGN: We created a cost-effectiveness model using TreeAge Pro (TreeAge Software Inc; Williamstown, MA) with a lifetime horizon. Our hypothetical cohort included premenopausal patients with 2 ovaries who did not desire fertility. Those diagnosed with asymptomatic endometrioma underwent either unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy or surveillance (ultrasound 6-12 weeks after diagnosis, then annually). Our primary effectiveness outcome was mortality, including death from ovarian cancer or surgery and all-cause mortality related to surgical menopause (± hormone replacement therapy) if the contralateral ovary is removed. We modeled the probabilities of surgical complications, occult malignancy, development of contralateral adnexal pathology, surgical menopause, use of hormone replacement therapy, and development of ovarian cancer. The costs included surgical procedures, complications, ultrasound surveillance, hormone therapy, and treatment of ovarian cancer, with information gathered from Medicare reimbursement data and published literature. Cost-effectiveness was determined using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of Δ costs / Δ deaths with a willingness-to-pay threshold of $11.6 million as the value of a statistical life. Multiple 1-way sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate model robustness. RESULTS: Our model demonstrated that unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is associated with improved outcomes compared with surveillance, with fewer deaths (0.28% vs 1.50%) and fewer cases of ovarian cancer (0.42% vs 2.96%). However, it costs more than sonographic surveillance at $6403.43 vs $5381.39 per case of incidental endometrioma. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio showed that unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy costs $83,773.77 per death prevented and $40,237.80 per case of ovarian cancer prevented. As both values were well below the willingness-to-pay threshold, unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is cost-effective and is the preferred strategy. If unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were chosen over surveillance for premenopausal patients with incidental endometriomas, 1 diagnosis of ovarian cancer would be prevented in every 40 patients and 1 death averted in every 82 patients. We performed 1-way sensitivity analyses for all input variables and determined that there were no reasonable inputs that would alter our conclusions. CONCLUSION: Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is cost-effective and is the preferred strategy compared with surveillance for the management of incidental endometrioma in a premenopausal patient not desiring fertility. It incurs fewer deaths and fewer cases of ovarian cancer with costs below the national willingness-to-pay thresholds.

Second fertility-sparing surgery and fertility-outcomes in patients with recurrent borderline ovarian tumors.

BACKGROUND: At the time of recurrence, many borderline ovarian tumor (BOT) patients are still young with fertility needs. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the reproductive outcomes and recurrence rate of second fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) in women with recurrent BOTs. METHODS: Seventy-eight women of childbearing age diagnosed with recurrent BOTs from November 2009 to 2020 whose primary treatment was FSS were included. RESULTS: The FIGO stage I disease accounted for 46.2% and serous BOT accounted for 87.2% in the study group. Forty-seven patients underwent second FSS, and the remaining 31 underwent radical surgery (RS). Seventeen patients relapsed again after second surgery, but no malignant transformation and tumor-associated deaths were reported. Compared to FIGO stage I, the FIGO stage III tumors were more likely to relapse, but there was no statistical difference in pregnancy rate among patients with different stages. In the second FSS group, recurrence rate was higher in patients who underwent oophorocystectomy compared to patients with unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (USO), but the pregnancy rate was similar. There was no significant difference in postoperative recurrence risk between USO and RS. The recurrence rate was not associated with operative route (laparoscopy or laparotomy), or lymphadenectomy, or postoperative chemotherapy. Among the 32 patients who tried to conceive, the pregnancy rate was 46.9% and live birth rate was 81.3%. CONCLUSION: Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is a safe procedure for FIGO stage I recurrent BOT patients with fertility needs, and can achieve a high postoperative pregnancy rate and live birth rate.

Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy and breast cancer risk in BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: BRCA mutation carriers have a high lifetime risk of developing breast cancer (BC) and ovarian cancer (OC). Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) has been shown to reduce OC risk. This meta-analysis was aim to analyze the effect of RRSO on the BC risk among BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. METHODS: Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched for all studies investigating the effect of RRSO on BC risk. The pooled results were used to evaluate the association between RRSO and BC risk. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 13,965 BRCA1 and 7,057 BRCA2 mutation carriers from 14 observational studies. The pooled results showed that RRSO lowered BC risk among BRCA1 mutation carriers [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49-0.81, P < 0.01] and BRCA2 mutation carriers (HR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.34-0.75, P < 0.01). RRSO reduced BC risk in younger women with BRCA1 mutation (HR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.30-0.77, P < 0.01) and BRCA2 mutation (HR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.08-0.65, P < 0.01). Analysis of the efficacy of RRSO at different time intervals after surgery showed a reduction of BC risk at <5 years after surgery in BRCA1 mutation carriers (HR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.40-0.89, P = 0.01) and BRCA2 mutation carriers (HR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.20-0.86, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: RRSO is an effective way to reduce BC risk among women with BRCA1/2 mutation, especially in younger women. BRCA1/2 mutation carriers could benefit from RRSO in the immediate 5 years after surgery.

Misdiagnosis of appendiceal neoplasms as ovarian tumors: Impact of prior gynecologic surgery on definitive cytoreduction and HIPEC.

BACKGROUND: Female patients with pelvic/adnexal masses often undergo gynecologic operations due to presumed ovarian origin. The diagnosis of an appendiceal tumor is often only made postoperatively after suboptimal cytoreduction has been performed. We hypothesized that an index gynecological procedure increases the morbidity of definitive cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) in patients with appendiceal mucinous tumors. METHODS: A single-center retrospective review was performed to identify female patients undergoing CRS/HIPEC for appendiceal tumors from 2012 to 2020. RESULTS: During the 8-year period, CRS/HIPEC was performed in 36 female patients with appendiceal mucinous tumors. Eighteen patients (50.0%) had received a prior pelvic operation by gynecologists (PPO Group) for presumed ovarian origin before referral for definitive CRS/HIPEC. The median peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was higher in the PPO group (21 vs. 9, p = 0.04). The median number of days from gynecologic procedure to definitive CRS/HIPEC was 169 days. Compared to patients who did not undergo a prior gynecologic operation, those in the PPO group had higher intraoperative blood loss (650 vs 100 mL, p < 0.01) during CRS/HIPEC as well as longer length of stay (12 vs 8 days, p = 0.02) and higher overall morbidity (72.3% vs 33.3%, p = 0.02). After controlling for PCI, prior gynecologic operation increased risk of 30-day morbidity after definitive CRS/HIPEC (OR 11.6, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: A multi-disciplinary approach is needed for the primary evaluation of patients with pelvic masses of undetermined origin. A gynecological resection is associated with increased morbidity during definitive cytoreduction and HIPEC for appendiceal mucinous tumors.

Minimally Invasive Compared With Open Hysterectomy in High-Risk Endometrial Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To compare disease-free survival between minimally invasive surgery and open surgery in patients with high-risk endometrial cancer. METHODS: We conducted a multicentric, propensity-matched study of patients with high-risk endometrial cancer who underwent hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and staging between January 1999 and June 2016 at two centers. High-risk endometrial cancer included grade 3 endometrioid, serous, clear cell, undifferentiated carcinoma or carcinosarcoma with any myometrial invasion. Patients were categorized a priori into two groups based on surgical approach, propensity scores were calculated based on potential confounders and groups were matched 1:1 using nearest neighbor technique. Cox hazard regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves evaluated the association of surgical technique with survival. RESULTS: Of 626 eligible patients, 263 (42%) underwent minimally invasive surgery and 363 (58%) underwent open surgery. In the matched cohort, there were no differences in disease-free survival rates at 5 years between open (53.4% [95% CI 45.6-60.5%]) and minimally invasive surgery (54.6% [95% CI 46.6-61.8]; P=.82). Minimally invasive surgery was not associated with worse disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] 0.85, 95% CI 0.63-1.16; P=.30), overall survival (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.73-1.48, P=.81), or recurrence rate (HR 0.99; 95% CI 0.69-1.44; P=.99) compared with open surgery. Use of uterine manipulator was not associated with worse disease-free survival (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.65-1.58, P=.96), overall survival (HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.71-1.96, P=.53), or recurrence rate (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.67-1.87; P=.66). CONCLUSION: There was no difference in oncologic outcomes comparing minimally invasive and open surgery among patients with high-risk endometrial cancer.

Combined Mastectomy and Laparoscopic Hysterectomy with Salpingo-Oophorectomy in Transgender Men: a Cohort Study.

There are few data on complications with gender affirming surgery. The aim of this study was to assess peri- and postoperative complications of laparoscopic hysterectomy and mastectomy performed in a single sitting in transgender men. Assessment of intra- and postoperative complications in a series of 65 transgender men (mean age 27, range 18-47) undergoing concomitant mastectomy and laparoscopic hysterectomy with salpingo-oophorectomy. Mean operating time was 292 ± 47 min. Thirty-four (52%) patients experienced complications: 28 (41%) DINDO grade I, 0 DINDO grade 2, 6 (11%) DINDO grade III. The six grade 3 complications consisted of 5 hematomas requiring evacuation after mastectomy and 2 vaginal tears requiring transvaginal repair. Three patients were readmitted within 30 days, all for postoperative bleeding/hematoma. In transgender men, performing laparoscopic hysterectomy and mastectomy at a single sitting has a modest rate of perioperative complications, and may improve resource utilization.