Minimally invasive adnexa-sparing surgery for benign ovarian and paratubal masses in children.

BACKGROUND: The precision of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) to resect benign ovarian and paratubal masses while preserving adnexa in children is unclear. This study evaluated the integrity of laparoscopy to spare adnexa while resecting benign pathologies in children. METHODS: The institutional pathology database was queried to identify patients aged 18 years and younger having any ovarian or tubal lesion resected at a comprehensive children's hospital between 2006 and 2021. Adnexa-sparing surgery was defined as preserving both the ovary and tube from which the lesion was resected. Postoperative ultrasounds were reviewed to document ovarian follicles, blood flow, volumes, and lesion recurrence. RESULTS: Adnexal preservation was implemented in 168 of 328 pathological resections. MIS approach was used in 149 cases. Median age was 13.4 [11.0-15.3]. Among sparing surgeries, MIS associated with benign pathology, shorter operative time (median minutes: 78 MIS [59-111.5]; 130 open [92.8-149.8]; 174 MIS-to-open [132.8-199.5]; p = 0.010), and reduced hospital stay (median days: 1 MIS (Lindfors, 1971; Lovvorn III et al., 1998) [1-2]; 2 open [2-2.9], 2 MIS-to-open [1-3.3]; p = 0.001). Postoperative ovarian volume ipsilateral to the MIS procedure (median, 7.6 ml [4.3-12.1]) was relatively smaller than the contralateral ovary (median, 9.1 ml [5.5-15.0]). Blood flow was documented to the ovary in 70/94 (74.4%) of patients after MIS adnexal-sparing surgery. Distinct follicles were detected in 48/74 (64.8%) of post-menarchal patients after MIS adnexal-sparing surgery. Five ovarian cysts recurred. CONCLUSIONS: MIS preserves adnexa reliably, with postoperative ovarian follicles and blood flow detected in most patients, and maintains ∼80% of contralateral volume, while achieving definitive tumor resection. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Combined Burst Wave Lithotripsy and Ultrasonic Propulsion for Improved Urinary Stone Fragmentation.

PURPOSE: Burst wave lithotripsy (BWL) is a new technology in development to fragment urinary stones. Ultrasonic propulsion (UP) is a separate technology under investigation for displacing stones. We measure the effect of propulsion pulses on stone fragmentation from BWL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two artificial stone models (crystalline calcite, BegoStone plaster) and human calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) stones measuring 5 to 8 mm were subjected to ultrasound exposures in a polyvinyl chloride tissue phantom within a water bath. Stones were exposed to BWL with and without propulsion pulses interleaved for set time intervals depending on stone type. Fragmentation was measured as a fraction of the initial stone mass fragmented to pieces smaller than 2 mm. RESULTS: BegoStone model comminution improved from 6% to 35% (p < 0.001) between BWL and BWL with interleaved propulsion in a 10-minute exposure. Propulsion alone did not fragment stones, whereas addition of propulsion after BWL slightly improved BegoStone model comminution from 6% to 11% (p < 0.001). BegoStone model fragmentation increased with rate of propulsion pulses. Calcite stone fragmentation improved from 24% to 39% in 5 minutes (p = 0.047) and COM stones improved from 17% to 36% (p = 0.01) with interleaved propulsion. CONCLUSIONS: BWL with UP improved stone fragmentation compared with BWL alone in vitro. The improvement was greatest when propulsion pulses are interleaved with BWL treatment and when propulsion pulses are applied at a higher rate. Thus, UP may be a useful adjunct to enhance fragmentation in lithotripsy in vivo.