Isobaric laparoendoscopic single-site surgery with wound retractor for adnexal tumors: a single center experience...

To report our experience with isobaric (gasless) transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) surgery in 100 patients with adnexal tumors at a single center.

In each case, a wound retractor was used as a working port through a 2.5-cm vertical umbilical incision. The surgical view was secured with the subcutaneous abdominal wall-lift method. Surgical procedures were performed using conventional laparoscopic instruments under vision with a rigid 30°, 5-mm EndoEYE laparoscope. Clinical data regarding patient demographics and surgical outcomes were retrospectively analyzed.

Between August 2009 and July 2010, one hundred and seventeen tumors from 100 cases were treated with isobaric LESS surgery (unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, 46; unilateral cystectomy, 33; bilateral cystectomy, 8; bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, 6; unilateral cystectomy and contralateral cyst wall ablation, 4; unilateral cystectomy and contralateral salpingo-oophorectomy, 2; and unilateral salpingectomy, 1). Three normal adnexa were prophylactically resected at the same time as contralateral salpingo-oophorectomy of a diseased ovary. Previous abdominal surgery was noted in 20 cases. Emergency surgery was performed in 7 cases. Six pregnant women were treated in the late first trimester. Median tumor diameter was 6.9 cm. Median surgical duration was 55 min and median blood loss was 10 mL. Conversion to conventional laparoscopic surgery was noted in one case of recurrent endometriotic cyst with severe adhesion. Laparotomic conversion was not experienced. Prolonged administration of antibiotics with extended hospitalization was required in 7 cases due to elevated inflammatory parameters. There were no major surgical complications in this series. The technique yielded excellent cosmetic results with minimum postoperative scar concealed within the umbilicus. With exclusion of 4 endometriotic cysts treated with cyst wall ablation, pathological diagnosis was obtained for 113 tumors (dermoid cyst, 54; endometriotic cyst, 21; serous cystadenoma, 19; mucinous cystadenoma, 9; paraovarian cyst, 8; serous borderline tumor, 1; and paraovarian serous papillary borderline tumor, 1).

With efficient wound retraction to create a wide and flexible orifice during instrumentation, the transumbilical wound retraction system combined with the subcutaneous abdominal wall-lift method contributes favorably to LESS surgery as a safe, feasible and reproducible alternative for a variety of ablative and reconstructive applications in the management of adnexal tumors.