Laparoscopic modified radical hysterectomy: a strategy for a clinical dilemma

To investigate the role of laparoscopic modified radical (type 2) hysterectomy when cervical cancer cannot be excluded or documented preoperatively.

Between 1996 and 2004, 50 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN III) or adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) involvement of cone endocervical margins and/or endocervical curettings, who were not candidates for observation or repeat conization, underwent laparoscopy to perform a modified radical hysterectomy.

Forty-nine (98.0%) modified radical hysterectomies were completed laparoscopically and one (2.0%) patient required a laparotomy. Of the overall group, 35 (70.0%) had residual pathology; 26 (52.0%) were precancerous lesions, and 9 (18.0%) had invasive disease (5 adenocarcinomas, 3 squamous lesions, and 1 adenosquamous carcinoma). Of the nine with cancer, one had stage IA1 disease, three had stage IA2 disease, and five had stage IB1 disease. Five (55.6%) invasive lesions were diagnosed intraoperatively (frozen section), and a laparoscopic pelvic and lower aortic lymph node dissection was performed. The median operative time was 96 min (range 58-185), blood loss 100 ml (50-450), and postoperative hospital stay 2.5 days (range 1-14). There were no incidences of prolonged urinary retention fistulas, or other serious complications. All patients with cancer remain disease-free (median follow-up 44.2 months, range 1-88.7 months).

Laparoscopic modified radical hysterectomy is a treatment option for patients for whom cervical cancer cannot be definitively excluded, and can be completed with acceptable operative time, blood loss, and hospitalization.