Mid-term outcomes of laparoscopic vaginal stump­round (Kakinuma method) and stump­uterosacral (Shull method) ligament fixation for pelvic organ prolapse: A retrospective comparative study

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LSC) and robot-assisted sacrocolpopexy (RSC) using mesh are popular approaches for treating pelvic organ prolapse (POP). However, it is not uncommon that native tissue repair (NTR) should be presented as an option to patients who are expected to have extensive intraperitoneal adhesion or patients for whom LSC or RSC is difficult owing to various risk factors. Laparoscopic vaginal stump-uterosacral ligament fixation (Shull method) has been introduced as a method for NTR in case of POP. However, effective repair using this surgical procedure may not be possible in severe POPs. To solve the problems of the Shull method, we devised the laparoscopic vaginal stump-round ligament fixation (Kakinuma method) in which the vaginal stump is fixed to the uterine round ligament, a histologically strong tissue positioned anatomically higher than the uterosacral ligament. This study aimed to retrospectively and clinically compare the two methods. METHODS: Of the 78 patients who underwent surgery for POP between January 2017 and June 2022 and postoperative follow-up for at least a year, 40 patients who underwent the Shull method (Shull group) and 38 who underwent the Kakinuma method (Kakinuma group) were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed between the two groups in patient background variables such as mean age, parity, body mass index, and POP-Q stage. The mean operative duration and mean blood loss in the Shull group were 140.5 ± 31.7 min and 91.3 ± 96.3 ml, respectively, whereas the respective values in the Kakinuma group were 112.2 ± 25.3 min and 31.4 ± 47.7 ml, respectively. Thus, compared with the Shull group, the operative duration was significantly shorter (P < 0.001) and blood loss was significantly less (P = 0.003) in the Kakinuma group. Recurrence was observed in six patients (15.0%) in the Shull group and two patients (5.3%) in the Kakinuma group. Hence, compared with the Shull group, recurrence was significantly less in the Kakinuma group (P = 0.015). No patients experienced perioperative complications in either group. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the Kakinuma method can serve as a novel and viable NTR procedure for POP.

LiNA OperaScopeTM for microwave endometrial ablation for endometrial polyps with heavy menstrual bleeding: A case report.

BACKGROUND: The procedure for microwave endometrial ablation (MEA) follows established MEA practice guidelines but requires hysteroscopic observation of the uterine lumen before and after MEA. When a luminal uterine lesion is recognized, its removal requires preoperative dilation of the cervix because the outer diameter of a conventional rigid hysteroscope is 8.7 mm. Recently, a fully disposable rigid hysteroscope (LiNA OperaScopeTM) with a narrow diameter (4.4 mm) and forceps capable of extracting endometrial lesions has become available. CASE SUMMARY: Here, we report a case of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) complicated by endometrial polyps where MEA was performed after removing endometrial polyps using the LiNA OperaScopeTM device. A 48-year-old woman with three prior pregnancies and three deliveries was referred to our hospital for further examination and treatment after being diagnosed with HMB 2 years earlier. The patient underwent MEA following endometrial polypectomy using LiNA OperaScopeTM. After MEA, endometrial cauterization was again examined using the LiNA OperaScopeTM, and the procedure was completed. No preoperative cervical dilation was performed. The patient's clinical course was favorable, and she was discharged 3 h after surgery. One month after surgery, menstruation resumed, and both HMB and dysmenorrhea improved markedly from 10 preoperatively to 1 postoperatively, as assessed subjectively using the visual analog scale. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful with no complications. CONCLUSION: LiNA OperaScopeTM can be a minimally invasive treatment for MEA of HMB with uterine lumen lesions.

Efficacy and safety of an Aron Alpha method in managing giant ovarian tumors.

Background: Giant malignant tumors have an increased risk of intraoperative rupture, which might lead to a worse disease condition and tumor recurrence. We performed a clinical study on patients with a giant ovarian mass who underwent laparoscopy combined with an Aron Alpha method. Methods: This retrospective clinical study spanned from January 2016 to September 2022 and included 23 patients with giant ovarian tumors treated with an Aron Alpha method. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 47.6 ± 17.8 years, mean tumor diameter 20.4 ± 5.8 cm, mean surgical duration 87.2 ± 33.1  min, and mean hemorrhage volume 94.1 ± 92.2 mL. No patient experienced intraoperative tumor rupture or surgery-related symptoms. Histopathology of excised samples revealed serous cyst adenoma and mucinous cystadenoma, mucinous cystadenoma of borderline malignancy and mature cystic teratoma, and endometriotic cyst adenoma in 6, 4, and 3 patients, respectively. The mean hospitalization period was 6.0 ± 1.2 days, and the hospitalization period was not extended in any subject. Conclusion: The Aron Alpha method allows tumor resection without capsular rupture and is a useful, minimally invasive surgical method for resecting giant ovarian tumors in which malignancy cannot be ruled out.