Impact of different intraoperative CO2 pressure levels (8 and 15 mmHg) during laparoscopic hysterectomy performed due to benign uterine pathologies on postoperative pain and arterial pCO2 : a prospective randomised controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of two different intraoperative CO2 pressures (8 and 15 mmHg) during laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign uterine pathologies in terms of postoperative abdominal and shoulder pain, laparoscopy-mediated vegetative alterations, pain medication requirement, arterial CO2 pressure (pCO2 ), surgical parameters, and safety. DESIGN: Prospective randomised controlled study. SETTING: German university hospital. POPULATION: Female patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign uterine pathologies. METHODS: Patients were randomised to a standard pressure (SP; 15 mmHg, control) or low-pressure (LP; 8 mmHg, experimental) group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcomes were postoperative abdominal and shoulder pain intensities, measured via numeric rating scale (NRS) and vegetative parameters (fatigue, nausea, vomiting, bloating) at 3, 24, and 48 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes were pain medication requirement (mg) and arterial pCO2 (mmHg). Surgical parameters and intra- and postoperative complications were also recorded. RESULTS: In total, 178 patients were included. Patients in the LP group (n = 91) showed significantly lower postoperative abdominal and shoulder pain scores, fewer vegetative alterations, lower pain medication requirements, a shorter postoperative hospitalization, and lower intra- and postoperative arterial pCO2 values compared with the SP group (n = 87; P ≤ 0.01). No differences in intra- and postoperative complications were observed between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Low-pressure laparoscopy seems to be an effective and safe technique for the reduction of postoperative pain and laparoscopy-induced metabolic and vegetative alterations following laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign indications. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Low-pressure laparoscopy seems to be an effective and safe technique for reduction of pain following laparoscopic hysterectomy.

Conversion of intraperitoneal cytology during laparoscopic surgery of uterine cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The laparoscopic surgery of uterine cancer is an oncological safe treatment option in early stage cancer. However, there are no data about whether laparoscopy can lead to intraperitoneal tumor cell dissemination. We aimed in our study to detect a possible cytological conversion during laparoscopic procedures. METHODS: In this prospective study, we included all patients receiving laparoscopic treatment at the early stage endometrial and cervical cancer in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of the Saarland and obtained peritoneal wash for cytological examination at the beginning and at the end of laparoscopic surgery. All patients received stage-adjusted operative and adjuvant therapy. RESULTS: We enrolled 43 patients [endometrial cancer (n = 24) and cervical cancer (n = 19)]. At the beginning of the operation, one patient with endometrial cancer and one patient with cervical cancer showed a positive cytology. One tumor cell conversion from negative to positive cytology during surgery was detected in a patient suffering from endometrial cancer stage FIGO Ia. The median duration of surgery was 191.8 ± 79.3 min. The average time of follow-up was 16.5 ± 10.3 month. At the end of data evaluation at December 2014, two patients (8.6 %) are suffering from recurrent disease, two patients died, none of these patients had a positive cytology. All patients with positive cytology are free of cancer. CONCLUSION: During laparoscopic surgery of early stage endometrial and cervical cancer, only one conversion of cytology was detected, which proves that laparoscopy does not appear to increase the intraoperative tumor cell dissemination or rate of positive cytological results.