Factors Associated With Peripheral Nerve Injury After Pelvic Laparoscopy: The Importance of Surgical Positioning

Nerve damage after abdominal and pelvic surgery is rare but potentially serious. The incidence of peripheral nerve injury is difficult to assess, and rates of between 0.02% and 21% have been cited in the literature. Signs and symptoms of this type of injury may appear immediately after surgery or a few days later.

This study was developed to assess the rate of peripheral nerve injury after pelvic laparoscopy and to identify associated risk factors.

A pilot prospective cohort study was conducted between March 2018 and April 2019 on 101 patients with a 1-month follow-up using two semistructured clinical interviews. We carried out a descriptive analysis followed by univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses.

Thirteen patients were found to have peripheral nerve injuries, representing a rate of 12.9%. Overall, 14 injuries (five severe and nine mild) were detected. One patient had two mild injuries. In this study, the risk of injury was found to increase 1.77-fold (OR = 1.77, 95% CI [1.13, 2.76], p = .007) for each hour the patient was in the Trendelenburg position.

The longer the patient is in the Trendelenburg position, the greater the risk of peripheral nerve damage. Patients aged 60 years or less also face a higher risk of nerve injury.