Mortality Rates in Laparoscopic and Robotic Gynecologic Oncology Surgery: A Systemic Review and Meta-analysis

To review early operative mortality (<30 days) for minimally invasive surgery (MIS), laparoscopic and robotic, in gynecologic oncology.

An electronic-based search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database in the last 10 years.

All MIS studies in gynecologic oncology reporting operative mortality from any cause (within 30 days) were included. Studies were excluded if mortality was not reported for MIS or included benign gynecology.

Meta-analysis was applied to calculate pooled mortality rates using the inverse-variance method. The relative risks and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the Mantel-Haenszel method. Sixty-five studies were included (39 183 patients) for an operative mortality of 1:381 (95% CI, 1:306-1:474). Studies were subselected and analyzed by procedures, malignancy, and surgical approach. Of 39 183 patients, 38 619 underwent any type of hysterectomy for a mortality of 1:379 (95% CI, 1:304-1:472). The mortality was 1:281 (95% CI, 1:169-1:469) for a laparoscopic approach and 1:476 (95% CI, 1:365-1:620) for a robotic approach. There were 3369 patients with early cervical cancer undergoing radical hysterectomy with a mortality of 1:2049 (95% CI, 1:356-1:11 832). There were 3501 patients with endometrial cancer undergoing hysterectomy with lymph node dissection with a mortality of 1:195 (95% CI, 1:109-1:349). There were 418 patients with ovarian cancer undergoing MIS procedures with a mortality of 1 in 685 (95% CI, 1:44-1:10971). Eleven studies with 4037 patients compared mortality of gynecologic oncology surgery of any type (laparoscopic [1:626] vs robotic [1:716] for a relative risk of 1.12 [95% CI, 0.35-3.49]).

The overall operative mortality for minimally invasive surgery in gynecologic oncology is 1 in 381 (95% CI, 1:306-1:474). For patients with early cervical cancer, it is 1:2049 (95% CI, 1:356-1: 11832), for endometrial cancer with node dissection it is 1:195 (95% CI, 1:109-1:349), and for ovarian cancer it is 1 in 685 (95% CI, 1:44-1:10 971). There is no difference between the type of MIS approach for patients undergoing any type of gynecologic oncology surgery.