Postoperative pain control with ropivacaine following laparoscopic myomectomy: A randomized double-blind, pilot study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate immediate pain control in patients who underwent laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) by intraoperative injection of ropivacaine into both uterosacral ligaments. METHODS: The study was a prospective, double-blind, randomized study. We analyzed 46 cases of LM performed between July 2015 and November 2016 by a single surgeon. We randomized the enrolled patients into either a ropivacaine or a saline injection group. Before the surgeon closed the abdominal wall, each 7.5% ropivacaine (5 mL) or saline (5 mL) was administered into both uterosacral ligaments through laparoscopic injection needle. We compared the pain intensity scores 2, 6, 12, and 24 h after injection between the two groups. RESULTS: The pain intensity scores were not significantly different. However, the ropivacaine group requested less of the analgesic than the placebo-injected group requested (P = 0.035). No patient in the ropivacaine group reported any side effects. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative ropivacaine injection into both uterosacral ligaments during LM can reduce the dosage of opioid analgesics.

Conservative surgery of uterine adenomyosis via laparoscopic versus laparotomic approach in a single institution.

AIMS: To evaluate the surgical outcomes of both approach methods (laparoscopy vs laparotomy) and to suggest the proper surgical approach according to type of uterine adenomyosis (focal vs diffuse). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 224 cases of uterine adenomyomectomy, 116 laparotomic and 108 laparoscopic, performed between July 2011 and June 2016 by a single surgeon (Y. S. K.). In all 224 cases, the surgeon had used transient occlusion of the uterine artery (TOUA). Surgical outcomes included weight of specimen, operating time, estimated blood loss and intraoperative injury to other organs. Postoperative clinical outcomes included symptom improvement (dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia and others) and recurrence. RESULTS: All patients in the laparoscopic group had been diagnosed with focal uterine adenomyosis, and most in the laparotomic group (85.3%) had been diagnosed with diffuse type. The largest lesion diameters were 6.48 cm in the laparotomic group and 4.34 cm in the laparotomic group. Operation time and estimated blood loss were 116.12 min and 222.67 mL in the laparotomic group and 75.09 min, respectively, and 155.33 mL in the laparoscopic group. There was no case of laparotomic conversion in patients with laparoscopic adenomyomectomy. CONCLUSION: Conservative surgery is effective to reduce the symptoms of adenomyosis regardless of approach method. For near-complete excision of adenomyosis, the diffuse type is recommended to be treated with laparotomic adenomyomectomy, and focal lesions less than 5 cm can be treated with laparoscopic conservative surgery.

Foreign body reaction from anti-adhesion material during follow-up of gynaecological malignancies: Mimicking local recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Gynaecological surgery techniques and instruments have advanced and there is increasing effort to reduce operative complications by preventing adhesion complications after surgery. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a possible limitation of the Surgi-Wrap(®) anti-adhesion material during clinical follow-up of surgically managed gynaecological malignancies. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed the medical records and imaging findings of 92 patients who received the Surgi-Wrap(®) anti-adhesion material. RESULTS: Nine of the 92 patients had local recurrence based on the imaging findings. The positive imaging findings showed focal, isolated and small pelvic lesions without other distant metastasis or recurrence and normal tumour marker levels. Laparoscopic exploration and biopsy were performed in six patients and close clinical follow-up was performed for the other three patients, who had a strong diagnostic impression of a foreign body reaction mimicking a focal recurrence of the tumour. The histological findings of the six laparoscopically-explored patients revealed a foreign body reaction without malignancy in five and recurrence in one case. The rate of foreign body reaction, mimicking a local recurrence, was 5/92 (5.4% of histologically confirmed cases) and 8/92 cases had ambiguous findings between a foreign reaction and local recurrence (8.7% of clinically suspected cases). CONCLUSIONS: It is important to avoid confusion between benign and recurrent conditions during follow-up for gynaecological malignancies. We suggest avoiding use of Surgi-wrap(®) during cancer surgeries and a need for further studies on the safety of Surgi-wrap(®) in patients with cancer.

Ovarian microcystic stromal tumor: A novel extracolonic tumor in familial adenomatous polyposis.

Ovarian microcystic stromal tumor (MCST) is a very rare neoplasm; hence, its nomenclature was recently designated as "Distinctive morphologic and immunohistochemical features" in 2009. Its exact origin, etiological genetic alterations, and background are not yet clearly known. Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal dominant disease that leads to development of colorectal polyps via germ-line mutations of the APC gene on chromosome 5q21∼22. In this study, we report a 40-year-old female patient who had ovarian MCST and FAP. On sequencing the APC gene in ovarian MSCT, we detected a novel somatic mutation of the APC gene in exon 11, with a heterozygous deletion at nucleotide position c.1540delG (p.Ala514 Profs*9). Mutations of ß-catenin (CTNNB1) and FOXL2 were not detected. Although one case demonstrating involvement of Wnt/ß-catenin in ovarian MCST associated with FAP has been presented previously, no detailed information was provided. Thus, this is the ovarian MCST with a somatic mutation of APC in a patient with FAP.

Diagnosis and surgical treatment of isolated rectal endometriosis: long term complication of incomplete treatment for pelvic endometriosis.

A 40-year-old woman visited our hospital with cyclic hematochezia for four months. The patient had the history of laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy because of severe dysmenorrhea two years ago at another tertiary hospital. According to the medical records, the past surgical treatment was incomplete excision of pelvic endometriotic lesions, especially in rectal serosal lesions. A colonoscopy and abdominopelvic computed tomography showed an isolated tumor mimicking neoplasm, in which a biopsy under colonoscopy was performed and the lesion was endometriosis pathologically. Laparoscopic anterior resection (LAR) was performed. There were no complications during intraoperative and postoperative period and the patient was discharged 7 days after the LAR. It is important for reducing of long-term complication like rectal endometriosis that complete and safe excision of pelvic endometriosis with expert surgical strategy.

Conservative adenomyomectomy with transient occlusion of uterine arteries for diffuse uterine adenomyosis.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the feasibility and safety of adenomyomectomy with transient occlusion of uterine arteries (TOUA) in patients with symptomatic diffuse uterine adenomyosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-six patients with symptomatic diffuse uterine adenomyosis underwent adenomyomectomy with TOUA by a single surgeon at Ulsan University Hospital between May 2011 and September 2012. Surgical outcomes included operative time, intraoperative injury to blood vessels, nerves, and pelvic organs and operative blood loss. We assessed the degree of improvement in dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia at the 4-month follow-up after completion of adjuvant gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 37.73 years (range, 27-49 years). The mean total surgical time was 95.0 min (range, 60-145 min; SD, 34.49). The mean estimated blood loss was 191.54 mL (range, 80-400 mL; SD, 110.91) and there were no cases of injury to the uterine arteries or pelvic nerves. The mean time of TOUA was 9.79 min (range, 6-16 min; SD, 2.74). The mean duration of hospital stay was 5.65 days (range, 4-7 days; SD, 0.85). There were no major complications requiring reoperation or readministration during the mean follow-up period of 13.5 months. At the 7-month follow-up after adenomyomectomy with TOUA, complete remission of dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia was observed in 94.4% and 100% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Adenomyomectomy with TOUA could be a safe and effective surgical method in women with symptomatic diffuse uterine adenomyosis to preserve fertility.

Depression and appetite: predictors of malnutrition in gynecologic cancer.

PURPOSE: The reported prevalence of malnutrition and related factors in gynecologic cancer varies. We aimed to describe nutritional status and to identify demographic, clinical, psychological, and nutritional factors contributing to malnutrition in gynecologic cancer patients. METHODS: We used a descriptive cross-sectional design. A total of 129 subjects were enrolled. Subjects agreed to undergo a face-to-face interview, including measurement of body mass index (BMI) and administration of structured questionnaires including the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ). RESULTS: Mean BMI was 23.4 kg/m(2) (range, 14.6-36.7 kg/m(2)) and median body weight was 55.0 kg (range, 38.5-91.3 kg). Sixty-nine (53.5 %) of 129 patients reported severe malnutrition according to the PG-SGA. Malnutrition among patients who had received chemotherapy was more common than among patients who had not received chemotherapy within 6 months. Depression and appetite were significant factors predicting malnutrition in patients with gynecologic cancer. However, malnutrition was not related to age, marital status, level of education, or annual income among demographic factors, nor age at onset of cancer, cancer type, stage, or duration of cancer among clinical factors. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of nutritional status should be considered along with depression and appetite in patients with gynecologic cancer. In addition, regular and consistent nutritional assessment is essential in gynecologic cancer patients because of the high prevalence of malnutrition in these patients.

Endometrial Stromal Sarcomas: A clinico-pathological analysis of 27 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinico-pathological features and prognostic valuses of Endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS) through comparison of the two grade groups (low- and high-grade disease). METHODOLOGY: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 27 patients who were diagnosed with ESS at a single institute between March 1988 and November 2009. Our retrospective chart review was approved by our local institutional Review Board (IRB). RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 44.0 years, the median follow-up period was 101.0 months and the 10-year survival rate was 74.2%. The median uterine weight was 215.0 gm. Twenty-three (70.4%) and four patients (29.6%) had low- and high-grade disease, respectively. As primary treatment, twenty-four (70.4%) and three patients (11.1%) underwent type I hysterectomy and type III hysterectomy, respectively. Total six cases were recurred and two cases of the six-recurred patients were distant metastasis (lung) and four cases were died of the disease. Univariate analysis revealed that the histologic grade and the uterine tumor weight were significantly related with longer disease-free survival (p=0.025 and 0.043 respectively). CONCLUSION: ESSs with high-grade or larger tumor size have to be carefully and sufficiently managed, because of its rarity and aggressive behavior. To determine the proper adjuvant treatment of ESS with high risks, further clinical data should be collected and studied.

Clinical Outcomes of Conservative Surgery for Diffuse Uterine Leiomyomatosis: Preliminary Experience of 17 Cases in a Single Center.

This study aimed to introduce the clinical outcomes of conservative surgery for diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis, which also included the specialized surgical technique. All patients with diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis underwent conservative surgery such as transient occlusion of the uterine arteries (TOUA) adenomyomectomy. All 17 surgeries were performed by a single surgeon between 2018 and 2021. The mean age of the 17 patients was 36.12 years old (range 29-48, SD = 5.4). Fourteen of the 17 patients received a previous myomectomy via a laparotomic (6, 35.3%), laparoscopic (6, 35.3%), or hysteroscopic (2, 11.8%) approach. The major symptom was menorrhagia (94.1%); the mean operation time was 97.06 min (70-160, SD = 22.71), and the mean estimated blood loss was 283.53 mL (20-1000, SD = 273.72). The mean hemoglobin level one day after the operation was 9.64 g/dL (7.2-13.1, SD = 1.85). The mean hospital stay was 6.47 days (6-8, SD = 0.62). The mean follow-up duration was 116.41 weeks (32-216, SD = 50.88). The recurrence rate was 5/17 (29.4%), and the recurrence-free interval was 50.6 weeks (27-87, SD = 23.71). In patients with diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis, who want fertility preservation and relief of disease-related symptoms, conservative surgery such as TOUA adenomyomectomy could be a good option to preserve the uterus. However, further studies are required to assess fertility outcomes with a long-term follow-up.

Single-port-access, hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery for benign large adnexal tumors versus single-port pure laparoscopic surgery for adnexal tumors.

BACKGROUND: Single-port-access hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (SPA-HALS) is a method intended to provide surgical outcomes with advantages similar to those of SPA-pure laparoscopic surgery (SPA-PLS) for patients with benign large adnexal tumors and to reduce the spillage of tumor contents. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and methodology of SPA-HALS for benign large adnexal tumors and to compare the surgical outcomes of SPA-HALS and SPA-PLS performed by a single surgeon (H.-J. R.). METHODS: Between March 2009 and February 2011, 139 patients underwent SPA adnexal surgery. The SPA-PLS procedure was performed for 96 candidates for conventional laparoscopic adnexal surgery, whereas SPA-HALS was performed for 43 patients with large adnexal tumors. The patient demographics and surgical outcomes of these two groups were compared. RESULTS: The median adnexal tumor size was larger in the patients who underwent SPA-HALS than in those who underwent SPA-PLS (10.9 vs. 6.3 cm; p < 0.001). Spillage occurred for four patients in the SPA-HALS group (10.3%) compared with 33 patients in the SPA-PLS group (31.3%) (p = 0.005). The relative risk of spillage was 4.43 times higher in the SPA-PLS than in the SPA-HALS group (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45-13.53). Adnexa-conserving surgery was significantly more frequent in the SPA-HALS group than in the SPA-PLS group (76.7% vs. 43.8%; p < 0.001). Additional procedures were less frequent in the SPA-HALS group (16.3% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.043). The median estimated blood loss was significantly lower in the SPA-HALS group (50 vs. 105 ml; p = 0.001). The two groups did not differ significantly in median operation time (75 vs. 70 min), complication rate (0% vs. 3.1%), or postoperative hospital stay (2 vs. 2 days). CONCLUSION: The findings showed that SPA-HALS extracorporeal adnexal surgery allows for thorough evaluation of peritoneal structure and complete surgery of benign large adnexal tumors while retaining the advantages of SPA adnexal surgery. Furthermore, this technique may reduce the intraperitoneal spillage rate for benign large adnexal tumors.

Advanced Laparoscopic Adenomyomectomy Technique for Focal Uterine Adenomyosis by Three-step Approach.

Background and Objective: Owing to the increasing trend of preserving fertility in adenomyomectomy, the need for laparoscopic adenomyomectomy has increased. This study aimed to introduce a new surgical technique, an advanced laparoscopic adenomyomectomy technique, and to evaluate its efficacy, benefits, and safety in focal uterine adenomyosis. Methods: From February 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020, 47 patients who underwent laparoscopic adenomyomectomy using the new surgical technique were enrolled in the study. The inclusion criteria were: (1) Focal-type adenomyosis, diagnosed by ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging that was refractory to medical treatments. (2) A strong desire to preserve the uterus. All the operations were performed by a single surgeon with a uniform technique. Results: The mean patient age was 40.53 ± 5.93 years (median 38.5, range 32-47). The mean diameter of the adenomyoma lesions was 4.57 ± 1.21 cm and the mean weight of the excised lesions was 40.53 ± 35.65g (range, 15-209 g). The mean total operation time was 70.11 ± 15.05 minutes. The mean estimated blood loss was 88.88 ± 20.0 mL (20 - 500 ml). There was no conversion to laparotomy or major complications requiring reoperation. At the seven-month follow-up, there was complete remission of dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia in 97.4% and 88.9% of the patients, respectively. Conclusions: The new advanced laparoscopic adenomyomectomy technique with a three-step approach could be a safe and effective therapeutic method.

Multimedia article. Highly effective method for myoma excision and suturing in laparoscopic myomectomy.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic myomectomy rather than abdominal myomectomy has been well documented as a treatment option for uterine myomas. However, laparoscopic myomectomy has serious limitations in two of its steps: excision of myoma with strong traction and suturing of the uterine defect. These steps are a challenge even for experienced surgeons. The authors introduce a simple but highly effective technique for excision of myoma and suturing using standard instrumentation in laparoscopic myomectomy. METHODS: After incision of the myometrium, the myoma pseudocapsule is separated by insertion of the dissector tip and scissors into the myoma. After completion of myoma enucleation, the surgeon makes a U-shaped hole of suture material with forceps for an interlocking suture, and the first assistant holds the stitch to maintain the suture tension throughout the repair. RESULTS: From February 2010 to August 2010, 43 patients with a diagnosis of uterine myoma underwent laparoscopic myomectomy by single surgeon using the aforementioned procedure. The mean diameter of the myoma was 6.3 cm (range, 4-9 cm), and multiple myomas were observed in 19 cases (44.2%). As a result, the mean operative time was 75.9 min (range, 35-155 min), and the hospital stay was 2.7 days (range, 2-5 days). The blood loss was 137.2 ml (range, 50-250 ml), and the hemoglobin decline on the first day after surgery was 1.5 mg/dl (range, 0.1-3.6 mg/dl). Postoperative fever higher than 37.7°C was the most commonly observed morbidity (ten patients, 23.3%). How- ever, no cases had conversion to laparotomy or major complications requiring reoperation or readministration during the mean follow-up period of 5.9 months (range, 3-9 months). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic myomectomy can be performed easily and effectively by forceps insertion and continuous interlocking suture using standard instruments.

Risk of torsion and malignancy by adnexal mass size in pregnant women.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate risks of torsion and malignancy by adnexal mass size during pregnancy. DESIGN: Retrospective review of medical records. SETTING: General university hospital and healthcare center. POPULATION: Four hundred and seventy women who underwent surgery for adnexal masses during pregnancy between 2002 and 2009. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rate of torsion and malignancy according to mass size classified into four groups: <6, 6-10, 10-15 and ≥15 cm. RESULTS: Torsion was encountered in 55 patients (11.7%) and malignancy was confirmed in 20 (4.3%). A mass size of 6-10 cm had a significantly higher risk of torsion than a mass <6 cm (odds ratio 2.68, 95% confidence interval 1.33-5.40, p=0.006). Masses ≥15 cm had an approximately 12-fold higher risk of malignancy compared with masses <6 cm (odds ratio 12.36, 95% confidence interval 2.90-52.67, p=0.001). However, for masses of 10-15 cm, the risks of both torsion and malignancy were not higher than those of masses <6 cm. CONCLUSIONS: Risks of torsion and malignancy are not directly proportional to increasing mass size in pregnant women. Physicians should be aware of a high risk of malignancy in women with an adnexal mass of over 15 cm. However, if a mass is smaller, the size should not be considered as a single independent factor in a decision for surgery.

Primary fallopian tube carcinoma: a clinicopathological analysis of a rare entity.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and pathological features of a rare tumor, primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 26 patients who were diagnosed with PFTC at Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center between March 1992 and November 2009. RESULTS: Median patient age was 54.6 (range 41-69) years, and the mean follow-up period was 59.8 (range 3-200) months. Twenty-one (80.8%) patients had one or more of the following preoperative symptoms: vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, or a palpable mass. No patient was diagnosed with PFTC preoperatively; 17 (65.4%) patients were diagnosed as having an adnexal mass, six (23.1%) had hydrosalpinx, and three (11.5%) had coexisting endometrial pathology. In seven (26.9%) cases, PFTC was missed during the operation, so an additional surgery was later performed. Ten (38.5%) patients were in stage I, two (7.7%) in stage II, 13 (50%) in stage III, and one (3.8%) in stage IV. The serous type was histologically predominant (76.9%), and most were high grade (76.9%). The 5-year survival rate was 81.7%. CONCLUSION: Primary fallopian tube carcinoma is hardly ever diagnosed preoperatively or intraoperatively due to its rarity. Our report may help surgeons by providing more information about the clinicopathological behavior of PTFC so that patients can be appropriately counseled. Further clinical studies should be performed to collect more information about this rare tumor.

Predictors associated with severity of pelvic actinomycosis.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical features of pelvic actinomycosis and to identify predictive factors associated with severity of pelvic actinomycosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical records of 25 patients diagnosed with pelvic actinomycosis and treated by surgery between September 1994 and March 2010 at Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Of the 25 patients, 15 (60%) had mild pelvic actinomycosis with adhesion and abscess but no complications. The other 10 patients (40%) had an aggressive state of pelvic actinomycosis accompanied by diverse complications, such as hydroureter, abscess rupture, bowel obstruction and cystoenteric fistula. The aggressive actinomycosis correlated with fever, higher neutrophil percentage and a higher white blood cell count to hemoglobin ratio compared to those with mild pelvic actinomycosis. However, there were no significant differences in the use of intrauterine devices, C-reactive peptide level or mass size between those with mild and aggressive pelvic actinomycosis. CONCLUSION: Using the clinical factors, such as fever, neutrophil percentage and white blood cell count to hemoglobin ratio, the surgeons can more accurately predict the severity of pelvic actinomycosis, thus being helpful for more proper disease management.

Single-port transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted adnexal surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficiency and feasibility of single-port access transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted surgery in patients with large (>8cm) adnexal tumors and to present our initial experience. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with presumably benign adnexal tumors who have undergone single-port access transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted surgery were enrolled. The procedure was performed using the method of exteriorization and extracorporeal surgery of adnexal tumors outside the abdominal cavity under laparoscopic guidance with preservation of as much ovarian tissue as possible. In each case, a homemade single-port device was inserted into the abdomen through a 2-cm umbilical incision. The clinical characteristics and operative outcomes of these patients were reviewed. RESULTS: Twenty of 22 cases were completed successfully. The one failed case required an additional trocar for adequate adhesiolysis, and the other case needed intraperitoneal drainage. The median operating time was 50 minutes (range, 35 to 120), and the estimated blood loss was 38mL (range, 10 to 300). Cyst rupture occurred in 2 cases, but there were no major postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: Single-port access transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted surgery for benign and relatively large adnexal tumors is feasible and could be an alternative to convention open laparotomy or laparoscopic surgery.

Pregnancy and delivery outcomes in the women who have received adenomyomectomy: Performed by a single surgeon by a uniform surgical technique.

OBJECTIVE: Although adenomyomectomy for fertility-sparing is an expanding procedure worldwide, there is no guideline or consensus about how to manage the pregnant women who have previously received conservative surgery for adenomyosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate antenatal care and delivery outcomes in pregnant women after adenomyomectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between May 2011 and May 2019, the medical record was reviewed in all delivery of pregnant women received adenomyomectomy performed by a single surgeon by a uniform surgical technique. The evaluating parameters consisted of antenatal care outcomes, delivery outcomes, intrapartum outcome, and neonatal outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were evaluated to monitor pregnancy and delivery outcomes after the adenomyomectomy. Mean age of delivery was 37.0 years old (SD = 3.1, range 32-45, median 37). All were delivered by cesarean section. Mean gestational age was 36.2 weeks (SD = 3.6, range 27.4-39.4, median 37.3). The mean birth weight was 2560.9 g (SD = 771.8, range 1100-3920, median 2550) and the number of preterm births admitted for prematurity care was seven (31.8%, 7/22). Placental abnormality was found in the four cases, which included two placenta accreta and two previa. However, there were no cases of hysterectomy or intervention. We identified one case of uterine rupture during pregnancy (4.5%, 1/22) at 27 weeks of gestation. Except for preterm birth, adverse neonatal outcomes were not found in this study. CONCLUSION: Delivery of pregnant women who received adenomyomectomy can obtain safe perinatal outcomes under close monitoring of preterm labor and surveillance of catastrophic pregnancy related complications.

Laparoscopy-assisted vaginal versus abdominal hysterectomy in endometrial cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of a laparoscopy-assisted surgical staging with a traditional laparotomy staging for the treatment of endometrial cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 465 patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma treated by surgery between January 1996 and December 2007. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the laparoscopy and the laparotomy groups in age, body mass index, and histologic type. However, in the laparotomy group, grade and surgical stage were higher, the diseases were more chronic, and more postoperative adjuvant treatments were necessary. One hundred seven (76.4%) of 140 patients in the laparoscopy group and 260 (80.0%) of the 325 patients in the laparotomy group had lymphadenectomy, and the median numbers of pelvic and paraaortic lymph nodes obtained were not statistically different. The laparoscopy group showed shorter postoperative hospital stay and lower blood loss, and the operating time was also shorter than that in the laparotomy group. There was no significant difference in intraoperative or postoperative complications, and the operative technique did not influence survival rates after adjusting several confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: Our data of 12 years with a large number of patients show no differences in complications and impacts on survival between laparoscopy and laparotomy. Laparoscopy has advantages of shorter operating time and other advantages over laparotomy previously reported. Therefore, laparoscopy can be considered a good therapeutic option for endometrial cancer.

Ovarian cancer during pregnancy: clinical and pregnancy outcome.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical feature and pregnancy outcome in patients with ovarian cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 27 patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer during pregnancy at Cheil General Hospital & Women's Healthcare Center from January 1996 to December 2006. Mean age of the patients was 29.1 yr (range 23-40), and a mean follow-up period was 57 months (range 7-112 months). Of 27 patients, 15 (55.5%) had borderline malignancies, 7 (25.9%) had epithelial malignancies and 5 (18.6%) had germ cell tumors. A total of 26 patients received a conservative surgery preserving pregnancy. The mean time for surgical intervention during pregnancy was 20 weeks of gestational age. Of the 27 patients, 26 had full term delivery of a healthy baby without any congenital malformation. Only one patient with epithelial ovarian cancer had a relapse at 19 months after the first conservative operation with adjuvant chemotherapy. There were few data for managing patients with ovarian cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. This study results could help establish a guideline for management of ovarian malignancy complicating pregnancy.