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vNOTES retroperitoneal sentinel lymph node dissection for endometrial cancer staging : First multicenter, prospective case series

Baekelandt, Jan ; Jespers, Astrid ; Huber, Daniela ; Badiglian-Filho, Levon ; Stuart, Andrea LU ; Chuang, Linus ; Ali, Oudai and Burnett, Alexander (2024) In Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica
Abstract

Introduction: The current standard treatment for endometrial cancer is a laparoscopic hysterectomy with adnexectomies and bilateral sentinel node resection. A retroperitoneal vNOTES sentinel node resection has several theoretical potential advantages. These include being less invasive, leaving no visible scars, operating without Trendelenburg, and therefore offering the anesthetic advantage of easier ventilation in obese patients and following the natural lymph node trajectory from caudally to cranially and therefore a lower risk of missing the sentinel node. The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of a retroperitoneal vNOTES approach to sentinel lymph node dissection for staging of endometrial cancer. Material and... (More)

Introduction: The current standard treatment for endometrial cancer is a laparoscopic hysterectomy with adnexectomies and bilateral sentinel node resection. A retroperitoneal vNOTES sentinel node resection has several theoretical potential advantages. These include being less invasive, leaving no visible scars, operating without Trendelenburg, and therefore offering the anesthetic advantage of easier ventilation in obese patients and following the natural lymph node trajectory from caudally to cranially and therefore a lower risk of missing the sentinel node. The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of a retroperitoneal vNOTES approach to sentinel lymph node dissection for staging of endometrial cancer. Material and methods: A prospective multicenter case series was performed in four hospitals. A total of 64 women with early-stage endometrial carcinoma suitable for surgical staging with sentinel lymph node removal were operated via a transvaginal retroperitoneal vNOTES approach. The paravesical space was entered through a vaginal incision after injecting the cervix with indocyanine green. A vNOTES port was placed into this space and insufflation of the retroperitoneum was performed. Sentinel lymph nodes were identified bilaterally using near-infrared light followed by endoscopic removal of these nodes. Results: A total of 64 women with early-stage endometrial cancer underwent sentinel lymph node removal by retroperitoneal vNOTES technique. All patients also underwent subsequent vNOTES hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. The median age was 69.5 years, median total operative time was 126 min and the median estimated blood loss was 80 mL. In 97% of the cases bilateral sentinel nodes could be identified. A total of 60 patients had negative sentinel nodes, three had isolated tumor cells and one had macroscopically positive sentinel nodes. No complications with sequel occurred. Conclusions: This prospective multicenter case series demonstrates the feasibility of the vNOTES approach for identifying and removing sentinel lymph nodes in women with endometrial carcinoma successfully and safely. vNOTES allows sole transvaginal access with exposure of the entire retroperitoneal space, following the natural lymph trajectory caudally to cranially, and without the need for a Trendelenburg position.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
endometrial cancer, lymph nodes, retroperitoneal dissection, sentinel, staging, vNOTES
in
Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:38623778
  • scopus:85190963304
ISSN
0001-6349
DOI
10.1111/aogs.14843
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
921a42ce-23d3-4d81-819e-f1f9e655e384
date added to LUP
2024-05-08 11:07:10
date last changed
2024-05-08 11:07:39
@article{921a42ce-23d3-4d81-819e-f1f9e655e384,
  abstract     = {{<p>Introduction: The current standard treatment for endometrial cancer is a laparoscopic hysterectomy with adnexectomies and bilateral sentinel node resection. A retroperitoneal vNOTES sentinel node resection has several theoretical potential advantages. These include being less invasive, leaving no visible scars, operating without Trendelenburg, and therefore offering the anesthetic advantage of easier ventilation in obese patients and following the natural lymph node trajectory from caudally to cranially and therefore a lower risk of missing the sentinel node. The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of a retroperitoneal vNOTES approach to sentinel lymph node dissection for staging of endometrial cancer. Material and methods: A prospective multicenter case series was performed in four hospitals. A total of 64 women with early-stage endometrial carcinoma suitable for surgical staging with sentinel lymph node removal were operated via a transvaginal retroperitoneal vNOTES approach. The paravesical space was entered through a vaginal incision after injecting the cervix with indocyanine green. A vNOTES port was placed into this space and insufflation of the retroperitoneum was performed. Sentinel lymph nodes were identified bilaterally using near-infrared light followed by endoscopic removal of these nodes. Results: A total of 64 women with early-stage endometrial cancer underwent sentinel lymph node removal by retroperitoneal vNOTES technique. All patients also underwent subsequent vNOTES hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. The median age was 69.5 years, median total operative time was 126 min and the median estimated blood loss was 80 mL. In 97% of the cases bilateral sentinel nodes could be identified. A total of 60 patients had negative sentinel nodes, three had isolated tumor cells and one had macroscopically positive sentinel nodes. No complications with sequel occurred. Conclusions: This prospective multicenter case series demonstrates the feasibility of the vNOTES approach for identifying and removing sentinel lymph nodes in women with endometrial carcinoma successfully and safely. vNOTES allows sole transvaginal access with exposure of the entire retroperitoneal space, following the natural lymph trajectory caudally to cranially, and without the need for a Trendelenburg position.</p>}},
  author       = {{Baekelandt, Jan and Jespers, Astrid and Huber, Daniela and Badiglian-Filho, Levon and Stuart, Andrea and Chuang, Linus and Ali, Oudai and Burnett, Alexander}},
  issn         = {{0001-6349}},
  keywords     = {{endometrial cancer; lymph nodes; retroperitoneal dissection; sentinel; staging; vNOTES}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica}},
  title        = {{vNOTES retroperitoneal sentinel lymph node dissection for endometrial cancer staging : First multicenter, prospective case series}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14843}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/aogs.14843}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}