ABSTRACT
Laparoscopy found its first application in the field of gynecology. Today, laparoscopy benefits the general gynecologist because of its minimally invasive nature. Benign procedures, such as oophorectomies and hysterectomies, have become practically outpatient procedures. The learning curve for laparoscopy in gynecologic cancer operations is obviously steeper, more time consuming, and training-dependent. With increased operative time, cost, and the questions of safety in malignant conditions, laparoscopy has quite a burden of proof before it becomes widely accepted. This article reviews the current applications of laparoscopy in gynecologic oncology with available data and offers future directions best suited for laparoscopy in this subspecialty.
Subject(s)
Genital Neoplasms, Female/surgery , Laparoscopy , Aorta, Thoracic , Female , Humans , Hysterectomy, Vaginal , Lymph Node Excision , PelvisABSTRACT
This article reviews the role of laparoscopic surgery in gynecologic oncology. The first part describes laparoscopic staging techniques. The second part describes surgical tumor-removal techniques. The third part discusses the indications for laparoscopic surgery in different types of gynecologic cancer.