Survival after minimally invasive radical hysterectomy with protective colpotomy for early-stage cervical cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Minimally invasive surgery on treatment of early-stage cervical cancer is debatable. Traditional approaches of colpotomy are considered responsible for an inferior oncological outcome. Evidence on whether protective colpotomy could optimize minimally invasive technique and improve prognoses of women with early-stage cervical cancer remains limited. We produced a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare oncological outcomes of the patients treated by minimally invasive radical hysterectomy with protective colpotomy to those treated by open surgery according to existing literature. We explored PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to December 2022. Inclusion criteria were: (1) randomized controlled trials or observational studies published in English, (2) studies comparing minimally invasive radical hysterectomy with protective colpotomy to abdominal radical hysterectomy in early-stage cervical cancer, and (3) studies comparing survival outcomes. Two reviewers performed the screening, data extraction, and quality assessment independently. A total of 8 retrospective cohort studies with 2020 women were included in the study, 821 of whom were in the minimally invasive surgery group, and 1199 of whom were in the open surgery group. The recurrence-free survival and overall survival in the minimally invasive surgery group were both similar to that in the open surgery group (pooled hazard ratio, 0.88 and 0.78, respectively; 95% confidence interval, 0.56-1.38 and 0.42-1.44, respectively). Minimally invasive radical hysterectomy with protective colpotomy on treatment of early-stage cervical cancer had similar recurrence-free survival and overall survival compared to abdominal radical hysterectomy. Protective colpotomy could be a guaranteed approach to modifying minimally invasive technique.

Does variation of surgical technique affect native tissue anterior pelvic organ prolapse repair outcomes?

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The Variation in Surgical Technique study (VaST), demonstrated the large variation in surgical techniques used in native tissue (NT) anterior pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repairs. However, there are few comparative studies of different surgical techniques. This study was aimed at exploring whether surgical technique influenced the outcomes of NT anterior POP repairs. METHODS: The surgical techniques of 22 consultant surgeons performing NT anterior POP repairs were filmed and categorised. These surgeons performed 809 anterior repairs within the PROlapse Surgery: Pragmatic Evaluation and randomised Controlled Trial (PROSPECT). Logistical regression models were used to determine the influence of the different surgical techniques on subjective and objective outcomes, using data collected during PROSPECT. RESULTS: In adjusted multivariate linear regression models, fascial-flap repair was associated with an improved subjective outcome (POP-SS) compared with midline plication (ß = -2.50 [-4.42 to -0.57]; p = 0.01). At 12 months, separate fascial defect repair was associated with a poorer objective outcome than midline plication (OR 6.06 [1.82-3.52], p = 0.006). At 24 months, deep dissection was associated with a poorer POP-SS than superficial dissection (0.32-2.60, p = 0.0). Continuous-locking closure of the skin was also associated with improved POP-SS compared with continuous non-locking closure (12 months: ß = -1.94 [-3.42 to -0.45], p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Surgical technique may influence the outcome of native tissue anterior POP repairs. Our results should not change practice but inform future research; to develop methods of explicitly recording surgical techniques and allow confirmation of the effect of these aspects of technique on outcome.

Risk factors for pelvic organ prolapse recurrence following colpocleisis: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Studies aimed to assess risk factors for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) recurrence following colpocleisis with nonconclusive results. OBJECTIVE: To investigate risk factors for POP recurrence following colpocleisis. SEARCH STRATEGY: MEDLINE, PUBMED, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched. SELECTION CRITERIA: Experimental and non-experimental studies investigating POP recurrence following colpocleisis. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We assessed the association between preoperative and postoperative physical examination findings, demographics and medical history, and the risk of recurrence following colpocleisis. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 954 studies were identified, of which five studies comprising 2978 patients were eligible for analysis. Both preoperative and postoperative genital hiatus length were significantly longer in the recurrence group (mean difference [MD] 0.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01-0.94, P = 0.04, I2 = 0% and MD 1.15, 95% CI 0.50-1.81, P = 0.005, I2 = 0%; respectively). Preoperative total vaginal length (TVL) did not differ between groups (MD 0.05, 95% CI -0.40 to 0.50, P = 0.83, I2 = 6%), postoperative TVL was found significantly longer in the recurrence group (MD 0.07, 95% CI -0.03 to 1.38, P = 0.04, I2 = 68%). Both preoperative and postoperative perineal body did not differ between groups. Women with a previous POP surgery were more likely to experience recurrence following colpocleisis (relative risk 2.09, 95% CI 1.18-3.69, P = 0.01, I2 = 0%). Patient's age and previous hysterectomy did not affect recurrence rates. CONCLUSION: Wider preoperative and postoperative genital hiatus as well as longer post-operative TVL and previous POP surgery were associated with a higher risk for recurrence following colpocleisis, highlighting the importance of appropriate patient selection and surgical technique in minimizing this risk.

Prospective Study on the Use of Endo-Stapler for Enclosed Colpotomy to Prevent Tumor Spillage in Gynecologic Oncology Minimally Invasive Surgeries.

Background and Objectives: This is a prospective trial of the endo-stapler application for vaginal closure before colpotomy in cases of carcinoma endometrium and carcinoma cervix, managed by minimally invasive surgery with due consideration of its surgical technique and short-term oncologic follow-up outcomes. Methods: This was a prospective, single center study completed between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022. A total of 62 patients (43 cases of carcinoma endometrium and 19 cases of carcinoma cervix) were recruited for the study. Oncologic survival outcomes at the end of 1 and 2 years were documented. Results: There were no major intraoperative bowel, urinary, or vascular injuries. None of the cases required conversion to laparotomy peroperatively. Our study had 8 patients with carcinoma endometrium (8/43) and 7 patients of carcinoma cervix (7/19) who have completed 24 months of follow-up without any recurrence to date. Conclusion: Endo-stapler application for enclosed colpotomy to prevent tumor spillage is a futuristic step in gynecologic oncology cases managed by laparoscopy.

Perioperative complication rates of colpocleisis performed with or without concomitant hysterectomy: a large population-based study.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to compare perioperative complications for women who underwent colpocleisis with and without concomitant hysterectomy, and report the rate of concomitant hysterectomy. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) - Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2004 to 2014. We used International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes to identify women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) who underwent colpocleisis with or without concomitant hysterectomy. Trend over time of each procedure type was created. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) to determine the risk of perioperative complications with or without concomitant hysterectomy. ORs were adjusted for age, race, income, insurance plan, and hypertension. RESULTS: Of 253,100 adult women who underwent POP repair, 7,431 had colpocleisis. Colpocleisis with concomitant hysterectomy was performed in 1,656 (22.2%) and 5,775 (77.7%) underwent colpocleisis alone (2,469 [33.2%] had a previous hysterectomy). Hysterectomy rates among women with POP undergoing colpocleisis remained relatively steady, whereas those undergoing colpocleisis without hysterectomy declined over time. Prevalence of any complications was higher among those with concomitant hysterectomy (11.4% vs 9.5%, p=0.023). Adjusted OR showed that concomitant hysterectomy increased the risk of complications (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.45-2.57, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our large administrative data analysis suggests an increased risk of complications when performing a hysterectomy at the time of colpocleisis. A concomitant hysterectomy was performed in 22% of cases. Whether or not to include hysterectomy at the time of colpocleisis is based on shared decision making, influenced by individual patients' values, comorbidities, and risk of complications.

Laparotomic radical hysterectomy versus minimally invasive radical hysterectomy using vaginal colpotomy for the management of stage IB1 to IIA2 cervical cancer: Survival outcomes.

ABSTRACT: This study compared survival outcomes for patients with stage IB1 to IIA2 (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage 2009) cervical cancer who underwent open radical hysterectomy (ORH) versus those who underwent minimally invasive radical hysterectomy (MIRH) using vaginal colpotomy (VC).Data for 550 patients who were diagnosed with cervical cancer at our institution during the period August 2005 to September 2018 was retrospectively reviewed. Of these, 116 patients who underwent radical hysterectomy (RH) were selected after applying the exclusion criteria. All MIRH patients underwent VC. Clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes between the ORH and MIRH groups were compared using appropriate statistical testing.Ninety one patients were treated with ORH and 25 with MIRH during the study period. Among the MIRH patients, 18 underwent laparoscopy-assisted radical vaginal hysterectomy and 7 underwent laparoscopic RH. Preoperative conization was performed more frequently in MIRH patients than in ORH patients (44% vs 22%, respectively, P = .028). The incidence of lymph node invasion was higher in the ORH group than in MIRH group (37.4% vs 12.0% respectively; P = .016). Following RH, ORH patients underwent adjuvant treatment more frequently than MIRH patients (71.4% vs 56.0%, respectively, P = .002). There were no significant differences between ORH and MIRH patients for either progression-free survival (PFS) (91.3% vs 78.7%, respectively; P = .220) or 5-year overall survival (OS) (96.6% vs 94.7%, respectively, P = .929). In univariate analysis, lympho-vascular space invasion was the only clinicopathological feature associated with decreased PFS. No other clinicopathological factors was significantly associated with PFS or OS in univariate and multivariate analyses.Despite a higher incidence of unfavorable prognostic factors in ORH patients, their survival outcomes were not different to those of MIRH patients with VC.

Evaluation of the distance from the anterior cervicovaginal junction to the anterior peritoneal reflection for anterior colpotomy during vaginal hysterectomy in Korean women.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to know the distance of the cervicovaginal junction (CVJ) to the anterior peritoneal reflection (APR) as measured in surgical specimens, and assess the distance between the CVJ and APR to ensure safe anterior colpotomy for vaginal hysterectomy among Korean women.Patients who underwent vaginal hysterectomy were included in the analysis. According to the presence of pelvic organ prolapse or menopausal status, the distance from the CVJ to the APR was assessed preoperatively through transvaginal ultrasonography (TV-US), as well as intraoperatively using surgical specimens. The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to determine the reliability between 2 measurements.In total, 171 patients were included. The median distance from the CVJ to the APR measured on TV-US was 19.8 (3.3-41.3) mm. Meanwhile, the median distance from the CVJ to the APR measured using the surgical specimen was 26.0 (12.0-55.0) mm. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the absolute agreement between 2 measurements was 0.353 (95% confidence interval: 0.002-0.570; P < .001), which is indicative of poor reliability. The median distance from the CVJ to the APR measured using the surgical specimen did not differ significantly between the 2 groups according to pelvic organ prolapse (26.0 [12.0-55.0] vs 27.5 [17.0-55.0] mm, P = .076] and menopausal status (27.0 [15.0-55.0] vs 26.0 [12.0-55.0] mm, P = .237).TV-US does not an accurately measure the dissection plane length from the CVJ to the APR during anterior colpotomy. During vaginal hysterectomy, the median distance from the CVJ to the APR measured using the surgical specimen was 26 (12.0-55.0) mm, which can help decrease surgical complications.

Protective operative techniques in radical hysterectomy in early cervical carcinoma and their influence on disease-free and overall survival: a systematic review and meta-analysis of risk groups.

PURPOSE: Radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy presents the standard treatment for early cervical cancer. Recently, studies have shown a superior oncological outcome for open versus minimal invasive surgery, however, the reasons remain to be speculated. This meta-analysis evaluates the outcomes of robotic and laparoscopic hysterectomy compared to open hysterectomy. Risk groups including the use of uterine manipulators or colpotomy were created. METHODS: Ovid-Medline and Embase databases were systematically searched in June 2020. No limitation in date of publication or country was made. Subgroup analyses were performed regarding the surgical approach and the endpoints OS and DFS. RESULTS: 30 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Five prospective, randomized-control trials were included. Patients were analyzed concerning the surgical approach [open surgery (AH), laparoscopic surgery (LH), robotic surgery (RH)]. Additionally, three subgroups were created from the LH group: the LH high-risk group (manipulator), intermediate-risk group (no manipulator, intracorporal colpotomy) and LH low-risk group (no manipulator, vaginal colpotomy). Regarding OS, the meta-analysis showed inferiority of LH in total over AH (0.97 [0.96; 0.98]). The OS was significantly higher in LH low risk (0.96 [0.94; 0.98) compared to LH intermediate risk (0.93 [0.91; 0.94]). OS rates were comparable in AH and LH Low-risk group. DFS was higher in the AH group compared to the LH group in general (0.92 [95%-CI 0.88; 0.95] vs. 0.87 [0.82; 0.91]), whereas the application of protective measures (no uterine manipulator in combination with vaginal colpotomy) was associated with increased DFS in laparoscopy (0.91 [0.91; 0.95]). CONCLUSION: DFS and OS in laparoscopy appear to be depending on surgical technique. Protective operating techniques in laparoscopy result in improved minimal invasive survival.

Vaginal Closure Before Colpotomy with an Endo-Stapler to Prevent Tumor Spillage in Laparoscopic Surgery for Gynecological Malignancy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to define new techniques for performing vaginal closure with endo-staplers to prevent tumor spillage during laparoscopic surgeries for endometrial cancer and early stage cervical cancer. METHODS: Thirteen patients were retrospectively studied for the use of endo-staplers for vaginal closure before colpotomy during laparoscopic surgeries for endometrial cancer and early stage cervical cancer to prevent tumor spillage. RESULTS: There were no short-term or any long-term complication related to the use of the endo-staplers for colpotomy in the surgeries included in this study. CONCLUSION: Use of the endo-staplers to close the vagina before colpotomy according to the technique described is safe and feasible, with prevention of gross spillage of any malignant cells in the peritoneal cavity or vagina, which will further have a favorable oncologic outcome.

Protective Maneuver to Avoid Tumor Spillage during Laparoscopic Radical Hysterectomy: Vaginal Cuff Closure.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the feasibility of a protective maneuver to avoid tumor exposure during laparoscopic radical hysterectomy. DESIGN: This video illustrates the vaginal cuff closure technique in cervical cancer surgery. SETTING: The Oncologic Gynecology Department at the University Hospital La Fe. INTERVENTIONS: After the Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer trial [1], the laparoscopic approach to the surgical treatment of cervical cancer has been questioned: laparotomic surgery has been associated with a better cancer outcome. This publication has changed the current approach recommendation for performing radical hysterectomy from minimally invasive surgery to open surgery. There are some theories that might justify these findings. In minimally invasive surgery, the use of a uterine manipulator can condition the spread owing to erosion and friction caused on the tumor, even leading to the perforation of the tumor. In addition, intraperitoneal colpotomy can lead to pelvic peritoneum contamination by the tumor. To close the gap between laparoscopy and laparotomy, some protective maneuvers, such as vaginal cuff closure, have been proposed [2,3]. These strategies aim to reduce the possibility of manipulation or exposure of the tumor to the pelvis during colpotomy in laparoscopic radical hysterectomy. These protective maneuvers have been shown to decrease the relapse rate in retrospective studies [4]. However, prospective trials are needed to elucidate and confirm these findings. In this video, we explain step-by-step the technique of vaginal cuff closure before a radical hysterectomy performance for uterine cervical cancer. First, the nodal status is established by laparoscopic sentinel lymph node dissection and frozen section study. Bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy is completed according to the size of the tumor. In the case of negative nodal status, the vaginal cuff is closed: Approximately 2 to 3 cm from the tumor (depending on its size), a circumferential incision of the vaginal mucosa is performed, followed by the dissection of the vaginal wall, which should be sufficient to allow a tension-free vaginal closure. The vaginal cuff is then closed with a running suture. A laparoscopic radical hysterectomy is then completed, and the surgical specimen is removed without any manipulation of the tumor. CONCLUSION: Avoiding manipulation of the tumor during cancer surgery is crucial. A vaginal cuff closure technique appears to be an easy protective maneuver that prevents tumor exposure and manipulation during laparoscopic radical hysterectomy.

Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques for Tissue Extraction.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Morcellation is a technique to remove large specimens by means of small incisions and is commonly used in gynecologic procedures [1]. In this video, we demonstrate contained manual morcellation techniques in benign gynecologic surgeries. DESIGN: Stepwise demonstration of 4 techniques with narrated video footage. SETTING: Tertiary academic teaching hospital. INTERVENTIONS: This video showcases 4 contained manual morcellation techniques: abdominal extraction through an umbilical "mini-laparotomy" incision, abdominal extraction through a suprapubic "mini-laparotomy" incision, transvaginal extraction through the colpotomy, and transvaginal extraction through the posterior cul-de-sac with the uterus in place. A particular strategy should be selected on the basis of appropriate patient characteristics and surgical factors [2]. CONCLUSION: Minimizing risk during tissue extraction is critical to minimally invasive procedures. The morcellation techniques displayed in this video allow for tissue extraction through small incisions while reducing the risk of spreading an undiagnosed malignancy.

Survival benefit of vaginectomy compared to local tumor excision in women with FIGO stage I and II primary vaginal carcinoma: a SEER study.

PURPOSE: The effectiveness of vaginectomy compared to that of local tumor excision (LTE) for the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I and II vaginal carcinoma is unclear. We aimed to clarify if the effectiveness of vaginectomy is comparable to that of LTE in the real world. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated data of patients with primary vaginal carcinoma registered in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database from 2004 to 2016. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and Fine-Gray competing risk models were used to estimate the overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) after propensity score matching. RESULTS: Of the 533 patients with FIGO stage I and II primary vaginal carcinoma, 243 and 290 patients were treated with vaginectomy and LTE, respectively. Vaginectomy was significantly associated with improved OS [unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53-0.95, P = 0.020; adjusted HR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.46-0.87, P = 0.005] and DSS [unadjusted subdistribution HR (sHR) = 0.75, 95% CI 0.52-1.07, P = 0.115; adjusted sHR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.44-0.97, P = 0.036]. Age, marital status, histology type, FIGO stage, chemotherapy, and lymph node metastases were significant prognostic factors of survival. Moreover, radiotherapy did not influence the effectiveness of vaginectomy. Subgroup and sensitivity analysis confirmed the consistent beneficial effectiveness of vaginectomy. CONCLUSION: Compared with LTE, vaginectomy results in significantly prolonged survival in patients with FIGO stage I and II primary vaginal carcinoma. Thus, it can be the preferred treatment for FIGO I and II vaginal cancer regardless of radiotherapy status.

Gender-affirming Vaginectomy-Transperineal Approach.

OBJECTIVE: Gender-affirming vaginectomy treats gender dysphoria associated with the presence of a vagina in transgender males.1,2 Prior reported approaches include transperineal vaginectomy, mucosal fulguration, and robotic-assisted. We present key steps in transperineal gender-affirming vaginectomy in a 39-year-old transgender male. METHODS: Informed consent for video recording was obtained. The patient underwent a first-stage phalloplasty 6 months prior. He was placed in high lithotomy Tredelenberg position. After Foley placement, an incision was made along the mucocutaneous junction laterally and posteriorly. The anterior sulci were incised and a transverse incision made anteriorly at the bladder neck. The vaginal mucosa was excised, except for the distal anterior vaginal wall mucosa which would be mobilized as a flap for urethral lengthening later. The paravaginal space was closed with a series of purse-string sutures starting at the apex. The anterior vaginal wall flap is mobilized with the base of the flap at the urethral meatus. Cystoscopy confirms ureteral patency and no lower urinary tract involvement. A suprapubic tube was placed. The procedure then proceeded with a second-stage phalloplasty that included urethral lengthening and scrotoplasty. RESULTS: The demonstrated procedure took 110 minutes and estimated blood loss was 75 mL. In our published series of 40 vaginectomies for 27 phalloplasties and 13 metoidioplasties, median operative time was 135 minutes and median estimated blood loss was 250cc.3 No complications related to the vaginectomy, including mucocele, fistulae to the vaginal space, or visceral injuries occurred. Peritoneal entry occurred in 44% of the cases and was closed primarily without further sequelae. Two patients required blood transfusion and 1 patient had C. difficile colitis. The anterior vaginal wall mucosa flap was incorporated in 83% of the time. CONCLUSION: Transperineal vaginectomy results in low periprocedural complications, takes approximately 2 hours after a learning curve. Detailed results from our series of these procedures have been previously reported.3.

Removal of an Abdominal Cerclage by Colpotomy: A Novel and Minimally Invasive Technique.

Abdominal cerclage is an effective treatment for cervical incompetence in patients with a previously failed vaginal cerclage or with anatomic restrictions to a vaginal cerclage. Management of second trimester complications that warrant a delivery impose a complex clinical situation in patients with an abdominal cerclage. We report 3 cases of successful removal of an abdominal cerclage by posterior and anterior colpotomy in the second trimester of pregnancy. This new and minimally invasive surgical technique avoids the need for extensive dilation, laparoscopy, or laparotomy to remove the cerclage and allow a vaginal delivery.

Laparoendoscopic Single-site Radical Hysterectomy with Vaginal Closure and without Uterine Manipulator for FIGO IB1 Cervical Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for radical hysterectomy (RH) has been reported with inferior oncologic outcomes in the New England Journal of Medicine [1,2]. Some studies have suggested that the no-touch technique may be a useful procedure to prevent tumor spillage and improve survival. Therefore, we performed RH targeting early-stage cervical cancer using the laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) approach with an enclosed colpotomy and without a uterine manipulator [3]. DESIGN: Video demonstration of the technique. SETTING: A hospital. INTERVENTIONS: A 48-year-old postmenopausal woman received a diagnosis of stage IB1 (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 2018) cervical cancer [4]. After being fully informed of the benefits and risks of different surgical approaches (laparotomy and MIS), she consented to the MIS. The type C RH through the LESS approach was performed successfully. The final pathologic findings confirmed stage IB1 cervical carcinoma. The patient recovered quickly, albeit with slight pain, and the incision scar was hidden perfectly for cosmetic purposes. CONCLUSION: This video demonstrates that LESS-RH with vaginal closure and without a manipulator is feasible and safe. Suspension skills played a significant role in LESS-RH. In addition, this surgical procedure involved 4 specific techniques to prevent tumor spillage: creation of a vaginal cuff, avoidance of a uterine manipulator, standard type C radical hysterectomy, and bagging of the specimen. These adaptations were meant to minimize tumor manipulation and disruption for reducing the increased risk of recurrence. However, further verifications are still required.

The resurrection of sacrospinous fixation: unilateral apical sling hysteropexy.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The apical compartment is a keystone in POP treatment. Sacrospinous fixation, suggested half a century ago, today is still one of the most popular and efficient methods of colpo-hysteropexy. However, it has specific side effects: chronic pain syndrome, dyspareunia and а high rate of cystocele de novo. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of unilateral sacrospinous hysteropexy with a synthetic apical sling combined with anterior subfascial colporrhaphy. METHODS: Following the suggested technique, 174 women with anterior-apical prolapse underwent surgery. The follow-up period took 12 months. Pre- and postoperative examination included: urogynecological examination (POP-Q), uroflowmetry, ultrasound of the bladder and filling in of validated questionnaires (PFDI-20, PISQ-12). RESULTS: The mean surgery time was 26 ± 7.84 min. No cases of damage of the bladder or rectum or of intraoperative clinically significant bleeding were noted. At the 12-month follow-up, the recurrence rate in the apical compartment was 0.7% (1/147) and in the anterior compartment 7.4% (11/147). The efficacy of the surgery reached 96.5%. During 12 months of follow-up, no cases of mesh exposure or chronic pelvic pain syndrome were detected. The incidence of dyspareunia de novo was observed in just one patient. CONCLUSIONS: A unilateral sacrospinous fixation with a synthetic mesh (apical sling) combined with anterior subfascial colporrhaphy enhances the anatomical efficacy of surgery. It also helps to avoid specific side effects of traditional sacrospinous fixation.

Modified colpocleisis for repair of pelvic organ prolapse post-radical cystectomy.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Since the era of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, complications of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) post-radical cystectomy have become more common; however, the exact incidence is not documented in the literature. The objective was to repair post-radical cystectomy POP, despite the lack of endopelvic fascia normally needed for this type of repair. METHODS: Three patients aged 60 to 80 had symptomatic POP (of all three compartments: apical, anterior, and posterior) following radical cystectomy and ileal conduit urinary diversion, and no interest in maintaining their coital abilities. Two of the three women were status post-hysterectomy. Colpocleisis, which is known to have a success rate of almost 100%, was performed on the first two patients, with a recurrence of the prolapse shortly after this correction (2-4 months), probably due to the lack of endopelvic fascia. Following the failure of the procedure, a side-to-side closure of the vagina was performed. The latter was the procedure of choice performed on the third patient. We present a video clip of the vaginal closure to demonstrate the procedure performed. RESULTS: Repair was successful in all three cases, with no relapse to date (4 months post-surgery). CONCLUSIONS: Closure of the vaginal canal successfully treated POP in our case series. There were no intra- or postoperative complications in any of the cases. Patients were discharged the following day and did not show any signs of recurrence at follow-up (3, 5, and 6 months post-surgery).

LeFort colpocleisis for recurrent pelvic organ prolapse.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The causes of recurrence of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) are sufficiently understood. However, few studies are available evaluating reoperation for recurrence of POP. This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of LeFort colpocleisis for recurrent POP. METHODS: We reviewed data from patients with recurrent POP who underwent LerFort colpocleisis at a center between March 2012 and April 2017. Quality of life was assessed using the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory Questionnaire (PFDI-20) scores. The Patient Global Impression of Improvement scale (PGI-I) was used to assess self-perceived success and subjective measures of satisfaction. The Clavien-Dindo classification (CD) was used to assess the safety of the procedure. Chi-square and paired t-tests were used to compare the same patients before and after treatment in the follow-up. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients with recurrent POP after previous prolapse surgery underwent LeFort colpocleisis. Most of these patients had at least one comorbidity. The mean age (years) was 71.8 (7.3). The mean time to recurrent POP was 5.602 (3.643) years. There were no intraoperative bladder lesions or rectal lesions. At mean follow-up of 33.1 months, all patients had no recurrence (< stage 2), significant resolution of awareness of prolapse (P < 0.05), and significantly improved satisfaction on PGI-I after surgery. Minor complications were classified as CD II level in four cases (15.4%). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that LeFort colpocleisis is feasible and safe for recurrent POP, especially in older women with comorbidities.

Peritoneal contamination with ICG-stained cervical secretion as surrogate for potential cervical cancer tumor cell dissemination: A proof-of-principle study for laparoscopic hysterectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Intracorporal colpotomy during radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer is discussed to be a risk factor for peritoneal dissemination of tumor cells. It might lead to increased recurrence rates after laparoscopic radical hysterectomy compared with abdominal hysterectomy, as shown by the recent LACC study. Data on the frequency or mechanisms of peritoneal contamination are missing. We aimed to analyze peritoneal contamination of cervical secretion during intracorporal colpotomy with a novel indocyaningreen (ICG)-based technique. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this prospective proof-of-principle study, patients undergoing routine laparoscopic or robot-assisted hysterectomy were selected. ICG was specifically applied to the cervical surface and routine surgery was performed. During colpotomy, pictures under white and fluorescence light were taken to evaluate frequency of contamination. RESULTS: By using cervically applied ICG we were able to visualize directly peritoneal contamination with cervical secretion during intracorporal colpotomy. We detected peritoneal contamination in 9/12 (75%) patients undergoing routine laparoscopic hysterectomy. Contamination of laparoscopic instruments occurred in 60% of the patients. When contamination occurred, it was routinely detectable during all steps of colpotomy. There were no adverse effects during surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Peritoneal contamination with cervical secretion frequently occurs during intracorporal colpotomy. This novel technique represents a promising tool for feasible and direct visualization of peritoneal contamination during colpotomy. The technique may be easily implemented in further studies on laparoscopic and abdominal hysterectomy and serve as a quality assessment tool for surgeons and surgical techniques.