Robot-Assisted Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy in Different Classes of Obesity: A Cohort Study.

Background and Objectives: Robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy is a safe and feasible approach in patients with higher body mass index (BMI). Slightly longer operating time in patients with high BMI did not result in higher complication or conversion rates. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether robot-assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy is a feasible and safe surgical approach in different classes of obesity. Methods: A single center retrospective cohort study was performed in a large secondary teaching hospital in the Netherlands. All patients who underwent robot-assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy between January 1, 2011 and January 31, 2019 were included. Results: Data regarding patient characteristics, complication rate, conversion rate, skin-to-skin time, robot console time, and operating room time were collected. Surgery specific data were compared in patients with several classes of obesity. In total 356 cases were included. Median BMI was 29 kg/m2 (range 18 - 59). Complication rate and conversion to laparotomy did not differ significantly in different classes of obesity. Robot console time and skin-to-skin time was significantly longer in women with a BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 (n = 34) compared to patients with normal BMI. Conclusion: Robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy is a safe and feasible approach in women in different classes of obesity. The significantly prolonged operating time does not result in higher complication or conversion rates.

Endometrial thickness measurement for detecting endometrial cancer in women with postmenopausal bleeding: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the accuracy of endometrial thickness measurement in the detection of endometrial cancer among women with postmenopausal bleeding with individual patient data using different meta-analytic strategies. DATA SOURCES: Original data sets of studies detected after reviewing the included studies of three previous reviews on this subject. An additional literature search of published articles using MEDLINE databases was preformed from January 2000 to December 2006 to identify articles reporting on endometrial carcinoma and sonographic endometrial thickness measurement in women with postmenopausal bleeding. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: We identified 90 studies reporting on endometrial thickness measurements and endometrial carcinoma in women with postmenopausal bleeding. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: We contacted 79 primary investigators to obtain the individual patient data of their reported studies, of which 13 could provide data. Data on 2,896 patients, of which 259 had carcinoma, were included. Several approaches were used in the analyses of the acquired data. First, we performed receiver operator characteristics (ROC) analysis per study, resulting in a summary area under the ROC curve (AUC) calculated as a weighted mean of AUCs from original studies. Second, individual patient data were pooled and analyzed with ROC analyses irrespective of study with standardization of distributional differences across studies using multiples of the median and by random effects logistic regression. Finally, we also used a two-stage procedure, calculating sensitivities and specificities for each study and using the bivariate random effects model to estimate summary estimates for diagnostic accuracy. This resulted in rather comparable ROC curves with AUCs varying between 0.82 and 0.84 and summary estimates for sensitivity and specificity located along these curves. These curves indicated a lower AUC than previously reported meta-analyses using conventional techniques. CONCLUSION: Previous meta-analyses on endometrial thickness measurement probably have overestimated its diagnostic accuracy in the detection of endometrial carcinoma. We advise the use of cutoff level of 3 mm for exclusion of endometrial carcinoma in women with postmenopausal bleeding.

Follow-up of women after a first episode of postmenopausal bleeding and endometrial thickness greater than 4 millimeters.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence of recurrent postmenopausal bleeding among women who were diagnosed with an endometrial thickness greater than 4 mm. METHODS: We designed a prospective cohort study and included consecutive women not using hormone replacement therapy, presenting with a first episode of postmenopausal bleeding. We evaluated patients who had an endometrial thickness greater than 4 mm at transvaginal ultrasonography and benign endometrial sampling; presence of carcinoma was ruled out by office endometrial sampling, hysteroscopy, and/or dilation and curettage. Time until recurrent bleeding was measured, and diagnosis at recurrent bleeding was recorded. RESULTS: Among 318 patients who had an endometrial thickness greater than 4 mm, 222 patients had benign histology results and were available for follow-up. During follow-up, 47 (21%, 95% confidence interval 16-27%) patients had recurrent bleeding, with a median time to recurrent bleeding of 49 weeks (interquartile range 18 to 86 weeks). There was no difference with respect to recurrence rate between patients with polyp removal, patients with a normal hysteroscopy, and patients with office endometrial sampling alone at the initial workup. Two patients were diagnosed with atypical endometrial hyperplasia upon recurrent bleeding. CONCLUSION: The recurrence rate of postmenopausal bleeding in women with endometrial thickness greater than 4 mm is 20%. This recurrence rate is not related to incorporation of hysteroscopy or polyp removal at the initial workup. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Accuracy of transvaginal ultrasonography in diabetic or obese women with postmenopausal bleeding.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the accuracy of endometrial thickness measurement in the diagnosis of endometrial cancer in patients with obesity, diabetes, and hypertension and to evaluate whether patient characteristics influence endometrial thickness irrespective of the final diagnosis. METHODS: This was a prospective study of women not using hormone replacement therapy who presented with postmenopausal bleeding at 8 hospitals in The Netherlands. All women underwent transvaginal ultrasonography and, in the event that the endometrial thickness (double layer) was more than 4 mm, subsequent endometrial sampling. The performance of endometrial thickness measurement in the diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia and endometrial cancer was evaluated in subgroups of patients with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity by using receiver operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS: Overall, we included 594 consecutive women, of whom 62 (10%) had endometrial carcinoma and 6 (1%) had atypical hyperplasia. In these women, transvaginal ultrasonography had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.87 (standard error [SE] 0.03). In the absence of (pre)malignancy, women with diabetes or obesity were found to have thicker endometria than women without these risk factors, whereas in women with a (pre)malignancy, this difference was not present. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve decreased to 0.74 (SE 0.05) and 0.75 (SE 0.07) in diabetic women and obese women, respectively. The presence or absence of hypertension had no impact on the accuracy of transvaginal ultrasonography. CONCLUSION: In view of the decreased diagnostic accuracy in diabetic women and obese women, the clinical value of transvaginal endometrial thickness measurement in these women is questionable.

Cost-effectiveness of the use of transvaginal sonography in the evaluation of postmenopausal bleeding.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the cost-effectiveness of transvaginal sonography (TVS) in the diagnostic work-up of women with postmenopausal bleeding. METHODS: We performed a decision analysis in which we estimated life expectancy and cost of four strategies for the evaluation of postmenopausal bleeding: TVS (I), TVS and office endometrial biopsy (II), TVS and hysteroscopy (III), and endometrial biopsy (IV). In strategies incorporating TVS, calculations were performed for three different cut-off values between 3 and 9 mm double layer. Expectant management, i.e. no diagnosis or treatment was considered to be the reference strategy to which the other four strategies were compared. Data were obtained from the published literature. In extensive sensitivity analyses, we varied patient's age, discount rate, prevalence of endometrial carcinoma and atypical hyperplasia, and costs. RESULTS: The strategy with endometrial biopsy and the strategy with TVS followed by endometrial biopsy in case of an increased endometrial thickness were the most cost-effective strategies. The strategy starting with endometrial biopsy was the most cost-effective when the prevalence of endometrial carcinoma was > or =15.3%, whereas the strategy with TVS and endometrial biopsy was the most cost-effective for women in which the prevalence of endometrial carcinoma was lower. In these strategies, a cut-off level for abnormality of 9 mm resulted in lowest cost per life-year gained. CONCLUSIONS: TVS is of use in women with postmenopausal bleeding and a probability of endometrial carcinoma below 15%.