Robotic-assisted resection of liver and diaphragm recurrent ovarian carcinoma: description of technique

To describe port placement and operative technique for resection of right hepatic and full-thickness diaphragm metastatic ovarian carcinoma in a patient with recurrent disease using the da Vinci® Surgical System.

A 60-year-old female with recurrent platinum sensitive ovarian cancer presented with disease confined to the liver by PET-CT scan. The lesion measured 3.4 cm on the dome of the right hepatic lobe. After two attempts at intra-hepatic arterial chemo-embolization the lesion remained stable. She subsequently agreed to robotic-assisted resection of the right lobe liver mass after refusing laparotomy for 9 months.

Pnuemoperitoneum was established in the left upper quadrant by directly inserting a 5-mm laparoscope. There were no midline adhesions. The 12-mm camera port was placed in the midclavicular line on the right 10 cm off the costal margin with the right and left operative arms 10 cm from the camera near the costal margin, and the third arm in the right flank. The robot was docked from the right shoulder. Resection was accomplished with a monopolar spatula in the right, fenestrated bipolar grasper in the left, and double fenestrated grasper in the third operative arm. Adhesions between diaphragm and liver were separated, the liver lesion was excised, the diaphragm lesion was resected full thickness, and diaphragm was closed with running prolene. Surgicel® was placed on the liver for hemostasis. Console time was 82 min and the patient discharged on day-5 after drainage of a cytology negative pleural effusion day-4.

Robotic resection of liver and full-thickness diaphragm lesions is possible. The port placement used in this patient was efficient and without operative arm collisions. Patients with isolated upper-abdominal recurrence are candidates for robotic secondary cytoreduction.