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.

Performance Assessment for Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy in the Operating Room: Validity Evidence of a Procedure-specific Rating Scale.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The technical conduct of total laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) is critical to surgical outcomes. This study explored the validity evidence of an objective scale specific to the assessment of technical skills (H-OSATS) for 7 tasks of an LH with salpingo-oophorectomy procedure performed in the operating room. DESIGN: Observational cohort study. SETTING: Two academic hospitals in Marseille and Montpellier, France. PATIENTS: Three groups of operators (novice, intermediate, and experienced surgeons) were video recorded during their live performances of LH on a simple case. For each group, a dozen unedited videos were obtained for the following tasks: division of the round ligament, division of the infundibulopelvic ligament, creation of the bladder flap, opening of the posterior peritoneum, division of the uterine vessels, colpotomy, and closure of the vault. INTERVENTIONS: Two qualified raters blindly assessed each video using the H-OSATS rating scale. Inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability were calculated as measures of internal structure. In a separate round of evaluations, the raters provided a global competent/noncompetent decision for each performance. As a measure of consequential validity, a pass/fail score was set for each task using the contrasting group method. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Three tasks (creation of the bladder flap, colpotomy, and closure of the vault) displayed sound validity evidence: a meaningful total score difference among the 3 groups of experience as well as between the intermediate and experienced surgeons, reliability outcomes of >0.7, and a pass/fail score with a theoretical false-positive rate of <10%. CONCLUSION: The validity evidence of the H-OSATS rating scale differed for separate evaluations of the 7 tasks. Three tasks (i.e., creation of the bladder flap, colpotomy, and closure of the vault) revealed sound validity evidence, including at the level of the attending surgeon, whereas other tasks were more consistent with low-stakes formative evaluation standards.

Video-based self-assessment enhances laparoscopic skills on a virtual reality simulator: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Hysterectomy rates are decreasing in many countries, and virtual reality (VR) simulators bring new training opportunities for residents. As coaching interventions while training on a simulated complex procedure represents a resource challenge, alternative strategies to improve surgical skills must be investigated. We sought to determine whether self-guided learning using a video-based self-assessment (SA) leads to improved surgical skills in laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) on a VR simulator. METHODS: Twenty-four gynecology residents from two university hospitals were randomized into an SA group (n = 12) and a Control group (n = 12). Each participant's baseline performance on a validated VR basic task was assessed. Both groups then performed three virtually simulated LHs during which the participants received no guidance nor feedback. Following each LH, the SA group participants rated the video of their own performance using a generic and a procedure-specific rating scale, while the Control group participants watched an LH video demonstration. The LH videos of both groups' participants were blindly reviewed and rated by expert surgeons, using modified Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills scores (OSATS). Objective metrics recorded by the VR simulator were also compared. RESULTS: There was no difference between the groups' baseline performances on the VR basic task. For the first LH, the OSATS-derived scores did not differ between SA and Control groups (9 [7-13] versus 9 [8-14]; p = 0.728). For the third LH, the OSATS-derived scores were higher for the SA group than for the Control group (17 [15-21] versus 15 [11-17], p = 0.039). Between the two groups, the objective metrics did not differ from the first to the third LH. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a structured video-based SA leads to improved procedural skills in LH on a VR simulator compared to watching benchmark expert performance, in a population of residents with moderate experience in the operating room.

Robotic-assisted skin sparing mastectomy and immediate reconstruction using latissimus dorsi flap a new effective and safe technique: A comparative study.

INTRODUCTION: Breast reconstruction is an essential part of breast cancer treatment. After skin sparing mastectomy, Immediate Breast Reconstruction (IBR) can be achieved using breast implants, autologous flaps (i.e. latissimus dorsi-myo-cutaneous flap (LDF)) or an association of both. Robotic assistance has gained popularity in many surgical fields including breast surgery. This study aims to compare the post-operative results of Robotic Assisted Latissimus Dorsi Flap (RALDF) to Traditional Latissimus Dorsi Flap (TLDF) for IBR after Skin Sparing Mastectomy (SSM) without nipple conservation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2016 and June 2019, all patients who underwent a SSM and a concurrent IBR with a TLDF were retrospectively compared to patients who underwent SSM and a concurrent IBR with a RALDF. Outcomes compared included operative time, length of hospital stay and complications rate. RESULTS: 105 cases of SSM with a LDF based IBR were included in the study. 46 patients underwent RALDF and 59 patients underwent TLDF. Mean operative time was longer in the RALDF group (290.5min versus 259.7min). In binary regression, the concomitant placement of breast implant was the only factor associated with an operative time exceeding 290 min (p = 0.032). Univariate analysis showed no significant difference concerning the rate of complications (p = 0.061). After logistic regression, RALDF was associated with a decreased rate of complications (p = 0.042; OR 0.37; IC 95% (0.142-0.966)). DISCUSSION: SSM with IBR using RALDF is an effective and safe technique. This technique is actually associated with a lower complication rate at the expense of a longer operative time.

Vaginal Hysterectomy with Salpingectomy for Essure Insert Removal.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of an en-bloc salpingectomy at the time of vaginal hysterectomy for removal of Essure inserts. DESIGN: Prospective observational study (Canadian Task Force classification II-1). SETTING: Monocenter study at the Conception University Hospital Center, Marseille, France. PATIENTS: Women seeking removal of the Essure device and candidate for vaginal hysterectomy from January 1, 2017 to January 31, 2018. INTERVENTIONS: Patient underwent a total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy by the vaginal route (VH-S) with en-bloc removal of each hemiuterus with the ipsilateral fallopian tube, thereby allowing for removal of the Essure inserts without fragmentation. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-six VH-S were performed. There was no converted case to laparoscopy or laparotomy because of issues regarding feasibility or complications. Removal of each hemiuterus with the ipsilateral tube as a single unit was feasible in all cases. There was 1 Clavien-Dindo grade 1 perioperative complication: a bladder injury that required 10days of urinary catheterization. There were 2 grade 2 postoperative complications: 1 case of metrorrhagia of a granuloma on the vaginal fundus that was treated with silver nitrate and 1 case of acute urinary retention that required urinary catheterization for 24hours. CONCLUSION: Performing a VH-S with en-bloc removal of the hemiuterus with the ipsilateral tube without fragmentation orsectioning of the Essure inserts appears to be feasible. The vaginal route can hence be an approach for women who undergo hysterectomy during Essure insert surgery removal.

Effect of laparoscopy by single-port endoscopic access in benign adnexal surgery: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic surgery has become the preferred surgical approach due to a reduction in postoperative pain, better recovery, shorter hospitalization, and improved esthetic outcomes. Laparoscopic surgery with single-port laparoscopy (SPL) is a laparoscopic surgery technique that is based on making a single parietal incision using a single trocar specifically designed to allow introduction of several instruments. The level of evidence regarding the advantages of SPL in terms of postoperative pain has remained low despite several randomized studies. Adult patients exhibiting a surgical indication for an a priori benign ovarian pathology or for prophylactic purposes that can be performed by laparoscopy will be randomized to receive conventional laparoscopy (CL) or SPL. The aim of our study is to evaluate whether SPL offers advantages over CL in benign adnexal surgery. METHODS: The patients will be evaluated preoperatively to confirm their eligibility. The perioperative data up to 24 h after the intervention, as well as the postoperative data at day 7 and at one month from the intervention will be collected. The primary outcome for the study will be the postoperative pain at 24 h ± 2 h after the intervention. The pain will be assessed by a numeric rating scale of 0-10. Other outcomes will also be assessed, such as pain at other times, the consumption of analgesics, the operative time, perioperative bleeding, the number of additional trocars in the two groups, the incidence of laparoconversion, the esthetic criteria of the scar at one month, the incidence of complications, and the quality of life at one month. DISCUSSION: If our hypothesis is confirmed, this study will provide evidence that the use of SPL can decrease postoperative pain in adnexal surgery. The standard surgical treatment of this condition would thus be modified. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02739724 . Registered on 12 April 2016.

Single-Port Laparoscopy vs Conventional Laparoscopy in Benign Adnexal Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Single-port laparoscopy (SPL) was developed approximately 30 years ago in minimally invasive surgery. Literature comparing SPL with conventional laparoscopy (CL) for adnexal surgery (i.e., cystectomy and adnexectomy) is inconsistent. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the advantage of SPL over CL for adnexal surgery. PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE were searched for publications in English and in French published between 1975 and November 2015 using the following key words: (((single port) or (single site) or (one port) or (single-port access laparoscopy) or (single-site laparoscopy) or (laparoscopic single-site surgery)) and ((adnexal disease) or (ovarian cystectomy) or (ovariectomy) or (adnexectomy))) not (pregnancy). The primary outcome was postoperative pain assessed at 24 hours postsurgery. The secondary outcomes were postoperative pain at 6 and 48 hours postsurgery, analgesic consumption, operative time, blood loss, laparotomy conversion rate, mean hospital stay, and cosmetic results at 1 month. Sixteen relevant articles were identified by electronic search. The pooled analysis of randomized trials showed no significant difference between SPL and CL in terms of postoperative pain at 6 and 24 hours, blood loss, mean length of hospital stay, cosmetic results, and laparotomy conversion rate; however, operative time was longer for SPL (p = .03). The pooled analysis including all the selected studies showed no significant difference for all of these outcomes. This review and meta-analysis found no significant difference between SPL and CL for adnexal surgery, except for operative time. Further large-scale randomized trials should be conducted to investigate the potential advantages of SPL over CL before this laparoscopic approach can be recommended.

Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Treatment of Residual Ectopic Pregnancy in a Previous Cesarean Section Scar: A Case Report.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To describe a technique of robotic-assisted laparoscopy of residual cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) and uterine defect repair. DESIGN: Video case report, with step-by-step explanation of the procedure (Canadian Task Force classification III) SETTING: CSP may be treated by different approaches including surgery and methotrexate. Successful methotrexate treatments avoid an emergency surgical treatment. In these cases a residual CSP often remains and should be removed in women who desire to conceive. CSP is often associated with a cesarean section scar defect called an isthmocele. In case of isthmocele with important defect and desire for pregnancy, laparoscopic repair may be proposed. Diagnosis and treatment of isthmocele is usually performed in a second time after a successful treatment of CSP. In this case, a surgical treatment including the removal of the residual CSP and treatment of the isthmocele may be proposed. INTERVENTION: In this video we describe a technique for the surgical removal of residual CSP and isthmocele treatment by robotic-assisted laparoscopy. A 32-year-old patient developed a CSP treated by 2 in situ injections of methotrexate. A magnetic resonance imaging study performed 1 month after the last methotrexate injection revealed a persistent 4-cm residual CSP, associated with an isthmocele. Preoperative uterine artery embolization was performed to reduce intraoperative bleeding. After localization of the residual CSP on the left side, a temporary left uterine occlusion was performed. Residual CSP was totally removed. The residual defect and isthmocele were closed using delayed absorbable suture. CONCLUSION: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic removal of residual CSP and isthmocele treatment is a feasible and safe procedure. This procedure may be proposed in patients presenting with this condition after a methotrexate treatment of CSP.