Novel technique for the complete staging of endometrial cancer by single-port laparoscopy

Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility of a novel technique using single-port laparoscopy for the complete surgical staging of endometrial cancer.

Total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, pelvic lymphadenectomy and para-aortic lymphadenectomy was performed using a single-port device in two steps: first, a retroperitoneal para-aortic dissection was conducted, followed by a transperitoneal pelvic lymphadenectomy and a total hysterectomy. Conventional laparoscopic instruments were used in all cases. Perioperative details were collected.

Four consecutive patients with endometrial cancer underwent single-port laparoscopic staging procedure. All cases were high-risk endometrial cancers (two FIGO stage IA and two IB). Histologic types included three adenocarcinomas and one carcinosarcoma. The median operating time was 280min (ranged 240-320min), and the median length of stay was 3.5days (ranged 3-6days). No complications or conversion to conventional multiport laparoscopy were reported.

Single-port laparoscopic surgical staging for endometrial cancer is a feasible procedure, even when the procedure included a para-aortic lymph node dissection.