Trocar site hernia development in patients undergoing robotically assisted or standard laparoscopic staging surgery...

To compare the incidence and potential risk factors of trocar site hernia formation in women undergoing robotically assisted versus standard laparoscopic staging (RBT vs. LSC, respectively) for endometrial cancer.

We retrospectively identified all patients who underwent MIS staging for endometrial cancer at our institution from 01/09-12/12. Data collection involved the review of all operative notes, postoperative follow-up visit notes, and postoperative imaging reports. Appropriate statistical tests were used.

We identified 760 eligible patients (LSC, 193; RBT, 567). The overall median age was 61years (range, 33-90). The median BMI was 28.5kg/m² for LSC (range, 16.6-67.6) and 29.5kg/m² for RBT (range, 17.9-66) patients (p=0.8). A trocar site hernia developed in 16 patients (2.1%)-5 (2.6%) of 193 LSC and 11 (1.9%) of 567 RBT patients (p=0.6). Median time to hernia diagnosis was 13months (range, 5-20.5) and 18months (range, 3-49), respectively (p=0.5). All hernias in the LSC cohort developed at the camera trocar site. In the RBT cohort, 10 developed at the camera trocar site and 1 at a lateral trocar site. Only BMI was associated with the development of hernias. A hernia was diagnosed in 7 (6.9%) of 101 patients with a BMI ≥40kg/m² compared with 9 (1.4%) of 659 with a BMI <40kg/m² (p=0.001).

MIS for endometrial cancer is associated with a low rate of trocar site hernia formation, with similar rates associated with RBT and standard LSC. Higher BMI is associated with the development of postoperative trocar site hernias.