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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the learning curve of laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (LRH) for gynecologic oncologists who underwent residency- and fellowship-training on laparoscopic surgery without previous experience in performing abdominal radical hysterectomy (ARH). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 84 patients with FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage IB cervical cancer who underwent LRH (Piver type III) between April 2006 and March 2014. The patients were divided into two groups (surgeon A group, 42 patients; surgeon B group, 42 patients) according to the surgeon with or without ARH experience. Clinico-pathologic data were analyzed between the 2 groups. Operating times were analyzed using the cumulative sum technique. RESULTS: The operating time in surgeon A started at 5 to 10 standard deviations of mean operating time and afterward steeply decreased with operative experience (Pearson correlation coefficient=-0.508, P=0.001). Surgeon B, however, showed a gentle slope of learning curve within 2 standard deviations of mean operating time (Pearson correlation coefficient=-0.225, P=0.152). Approximately 18 cases for both surgeons were required to achieve surgical proficiency for LRH. Multivariate analysis showed that tumor size (>4 cm) was significantly associated with increased operating time (P=0.027; odds ratio, 4.667; 95% confidence interval, 1.187 to 18.352). CONCLUSION: After completing the residency- and fellowship-training course on gynecologic laparoscopy, gynecologic oncologists, even without ARH experience, might reach an acceptable level of surgical proficiency in LRH after approximately 20 cases and showed a gentle slope of learning curve, taking less effort to initially perform LRH.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of analgesia provided by continuous ropivacaine wound infiltration after gynecologic laparoscopy. METHODS: Sixty patients who underwent gynecologic laparoscopy at Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea, between March and May 2012 were randomized to receive either intravenous fentanyl and ketorolac infusion on demand by patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA group, n=31) or continuous wound infiltration of local ropivacaine (CWI group, n=29). Postoperative pain and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) were assessed via a visual analog scale. The number of patients who requested rescue analgesia was recorded. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in postoperative pain between the 2 groups, but more patients requested rescue analgesia in the CWI group than in the IV PCA group in 24 hours (18 versus 9 patients, respectively; P=0.010). The PONV scores at 12 and 24 hours were, respectively, 0.28 and 0.27 in the CWI group, and 0.71 and 0.73 in the IV PCA group (P=0.004). Nine patients requested cessation of IV PCA because of severe nausea or vomiting. CONCLUSION: Continuous ropivacaine wound infiltration was found to be as effective as patient-controlled analgesia for postoperative pain relief after gynecologic laparoscopy. This technique provides good analgesia with less opioid analgesic requirement and few adverse effects.