Reconstruction of the diaphragm with autologous fascia lata during cytoreduction in patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

Cytoreductive surgery for patients with advanced ovarian cancer often requires full-thickness resection of the diaphragm [1]. In most cases, the diaphragm can be closed directly; however, when the defect is wide and simple closure is difficult, reconstruction using a synthetic mesh is usually performed [2]. However, the use of this type of mesh is contraindicated in the presence of concomitant intestinal resections because of the risk of bacterial contamination [3]. Autologous tissue shows a higher resistance to infection than artificial materials [4]; thus, we introduce diaphragm reconstruction using autologous fascia lata during cytoreduction for advanced ovarian cancer. A patient with advanced ovarian cancer underwent right diaphragmatic full-thickness resection with concomitant resection of the rectosigmoid colon, and complete resection was achieved. The defect of the right diaphragm measured 12×8 cm, and direct closure was impossible. A section of the right fascia lata measuring 10×5 cm was harvested and sutured to the diaphragmatic defect with a 2-0 proline continuous suture. The harvesting of the fascia lata required only 20 minutes, with little blood loss. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were experienced, and adjuvant chemotherapy was initiated without any delay. Diaphragm reconstruction with the fascia lata is a safe and simple method, and we propose this reconstruction technique especially for patients with advanced ovarian cancer who undergo concomitant intestinal resections. The informed consent for use of this video was taken from the patient.

Minimally invasive radical hysterectomy and the importance of avoiding cancer cell spillage for early-stage cervical cancer: a narrative review.

Radical hysterectomy is a standard surgery to treat early-stage uterine cervical cancer. The Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer (LACC) trial has shown that patients receiving minimally invasive radical hysterectomy have a poorer prognosis than those receiving open radical hysterectomy; however, the reason for this remains unclear. The LACC trial had 2 concerns: the learning curve and the procedural effects. Appropriate management of the learning curve effect, including surgeons' skills, is required to correctly interpret the result of surgical randomized controlled trials. Whether the LACC trial managed the learning curve effect remains controversial, based on the surgeons' inclusion criteria and the distribution of institutions with recurrent cases. An appropriate surgical procedure is also needed, and avoiding intraoperative cancer cell spillage plays an important role during cancer surgery. Cancer cell spillage during minimally invasive surgery to treat cervical cancer is caused by several factors, including 1) exposure of tumor, 2) the use of a uterine manipulator, and 3) direct handling of the uterine cervix. Unfortunately, these issues were not addressed by the LACC trial. We evaluated the results of minimally invasive radical hysterectomy while avoiding cancer cell spillage for early-stage cervical cancer. Our findings show that avoiding cancer cell spillage during minimally invasive radical hysterectomy may ensure an equivalent oncologic outcome, comparable to that of open radical hysterectomy. Therefore, evaluating the importance of avoiding cancer cell spillage during minimally invasive surgery with a better control of the learning curve and procedural effects is needed.

Impact of the coverage of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy by the national insurance system for women with BRCA pathogenic variants in Japan.

To determine the impact of the coverage of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) and mastectomy (RRM) as well as genetic testing for BRCA pathogenic variants by the national insurance system in Japan. We compared the clinical background of women who underwent RRSO at our institution before and after its coverage by the national insurance system. Those who underwent RRSO between January 2017 and December 2019 and between April 2020 and March 2022 were classified as Period. A and B, respectively. Overall, 134 women underwent RRSO during the study period. In Period A and B, 45 and 89 women underwent RRSO for the study period was 36 and 24 months, respectively. Compared with Period A, the number of women who underwent RRSO per month increased by threefold in Period B (p < 0.01). In addition, the number of women who underwent surgery for breast cancer along with RRSO increased in Period B (p < 0.01). Although the number of women who underwent concurrent RRM with RRSO in Period B increased, the difference was not statistically significant. Compared with Period A, the number of women diagnosed with BRCA pathogenic variant increased by 3.9-fold, and the proportion of women who underwent concurrent hysterectomy at the time of RRSO decreased from 66 to 7.9% in Period B (p < 0.01). Owing to the introduction of the national insurance system, the number of women who underwent RRSO and concurrent surgery for breast cancer at the time of RRSO increased in Japan.