Uterine fibroids morcellation: a puzzle topic.

The laparoscopic approach for the treatment of uterine leiomyoma is increasingly practiced. The necessity to remove large specimens from the small laparoscopic incision has always been one of the main limits of this procedure. The unrestricted use of morcellation, to overtake this weak point of minimally invasive surgery, has opened in recent years a broad debate, especially on the risk of unintended dissemination of cells that could in some cases lead to extremely negative repercussions. This review analyzes these aspects and the principal recommendations from the major gynecological society on this topic surveying their effects. Furthermore, the purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the different morcellation techniques and how they are performed, evaluating their advantages and disadvantages. Contained morcellation seems to overcome many limits; however, based on recent data, an appropriate evaluation and selection of patients, as well as complete counseling before the surgery, are mandatory.

Laparotomic versus robotic surgery in elderly patients with endometrial cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although robotics has been shown to improve outcomes in some high-difficulty surgical category patients, it is unclear if such an approach may improve outcomes in elderly patients with endometrial carcinoma (EC). OBJECTIVE: To compare robotic and laparotomic surgery in the treatment and staging of elderly EC patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed assessing the risk of overall, intra-operative, and peri-operative complications associated with the surgical approach (laparotomic vs robotic) for elderly patients with EC by relative risk (RR). Pooled means ± standard deviation of length of stay were compared with the unpaired t test. Subgroup analyses for overall complications were performed based on different age cut-offs (>70, >65, and >75 years) and severity of complications (minor and major). A value of P less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Five studies with 7629 EC patients were included. Pooled RR for robotic compared with laparotomic surgery was 0.40 (P < 0.001) for overall, 0.46 (P = 0.18) for intra-operative, and 0.43 (P < 0.001) for peri-operative complications. Pooled difference between means ± standard deviation of length of stay for robotic versus laparotomic surgery was -3.34 (P < 0.001). At subgroup analyses, pooled RR of overall complications for robotic surgery versus laparotomic surgery was 0.34 (P < 0.001) in the >70 years, 0.51 (P < 0.01) in the >65 years, 0.20 (P = 0.12) in the >75 years groups. Pooled RR was 0.50 (P = 0.1) in the minor complications subgroup, and 0.42 (P = 0.002) in the major complications subgroup. CONCLUSION: Robotics might be a viable alternative to the laparotomic approach for EC in elderly patients because it significantly decreases the risk of overall and peri-operative complications (mainly major complications), and the length of stay when compared with laparotomy. The decrease in risk of overall complications is greater with increasing patient age.