Study of the feasibility of outpatient sacrocolpopexy by laparoscopy.

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LSCP) is currently the gold standard surgical technique for treating pelvic prolapse. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy in ambulatory care. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of LSCP in women who visited the outpatient department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University Hospital of Strasbourg between July 2018 and December 2021. All women with indications for laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy for prolapse treatment who were willing to be treated as outpatients were included. The main criterion of the study was to evaluate the rate of re-hospitalization between discharge from the outpatient department after LSCP and postoperative follow-up consultations. RESULTS: Among the whole population (57/200, 28.5 %) included, 4 (7 %) were hospitalized. The quality of life was not altered with a preserved EuroQol (EQ-5D) quality of life score with a mean score of 73±18.4 standard deviation (SD) 95 % confidence interval (CI) (67.9; 78.1) on postoperative day 3 (D3) and 91.2 ± 16.3 SD 95 % CI (86.2-96) on D30. On D1, D2, D3, and D7, the anxiety rate evaluated by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory score (STAI Y-A) remained low, with mean scores of 24.8 ± 9.6 SD 95 % [23.4-26.5] on D30. All patients were satisfied or very satisfied with the procedure and outpatient management, with an average score of 9.6/10 (range: 8-10). CONCLUSION: This prospective, monocentric study evaluating the feasibility of outpatient LSCP reported demonstrated low rates of complications and re-hospitalization after outpatient management. Furthermore, the patients' quality of life was not altered, and they patients were satisfied with this type of management.

[Retrospective evaluation of relevance of care in the management of presumed benign ovarian tumors]. / Évaluation rétrospective de la pertinence des soins dans la prise en charge des tumeurs ovariennes présumées bénignes.

INTRODUCTION: The relevance of care is defined by the right act, for the right patient, at the right time. We were interested in the relevance of the management of presumed benign ovarian tumors before and after the release of the CNGOF guidelines 2013 (French guidelines). METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study conducted at the University Hospital in Strasburg France from 01/01/2013 to 31/12/2017 including all patients treated for a presumed benign ovarian cyst. We were interested in the diagnostic approach: relevance of the prescribed imaging and the use of CA 125 dosage, in the therapeutic approach: the relevance of the technique used as well as the relevance of the surgical indication. We compared our practices between 2013 and 2017 for these same items. RESULTS: We included 682 cysts for 621 patients, the imaging performed was relevant in 55% of cases, not relevant but justified in 25% and irrelevant in 20%. The CA 125 assay or its absence of assay was relevant in 84% of cases. The surgical technique was relevant in 67% of cases and not relevant but justified in 29%. With a significant improvement 7.1% in 2013 of irrelevant against 0.9% for the year 2017. The surgical indication was relevant in 72% of cases, not relevant but justified in 20% and irrelevant in 2.7%. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of the relevance of care allows an evaluation of our practices. Professional recommendations can have an impact on the quality of care.

[Management of tubo-ovarian abscesses and complicated pelvic inflammatory disease: CNGOF and SPILF Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases Guidelines]. / Prise en charge des abcès tubo-ovariens (ATO) et des formes compliquées d'infections génitales hautes. RPC infections génitales hautes CNGOF et SPILF.

A tubo-ovarian abscess (ATO) should be suspected in a context of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in case of severe pain associated with the presence of general signs and palpation of an adnexal mass at pelvic examination. Imaging allows most often a rapid diagnosis, by ultrasound or CT, the latter being irradiant but also allowing to consider the differential diagnoses (digestive or urinary diseases) in case of pelvic pain. MRI, non-irradiating examination, whenever it is feasible, provides relevant information, more efficient, guiding quickly the diagnosis. The diagnosis of tubo-ovarian abscess should lead to the hospitalization of the patient, the collection of bacteriological samples, the initiation of a probabilistic antibiotherapy associated with drainage of the purulent collection. In severe septic forms (generalized peritonitis, septic shock), surgery (laparoscopy or laparotomy) keeps its place. In other situations, ultrasound-guided trans-vaginal puncture in the absence of major hemostasis disorders or severe sepsis is a less morbid alternative to surgery and provides high rates of cure. Today, ultrasound-guided trans-vaginal puncture has been satisfactory evaluated in the literature and is part of a logic of therapeutic de-escalation. Randomized trials evaluating laparoscopic drainage versus radiological drainage should be able to answer, in the coming years, questions that are still outstanding (impact on chronic pelvic pain, fertility). The recommendations for the management of ATO published in 2012 by the CNGOF remain valid, legitimizing the place of radiological drainage associated with antibiotic therapy.

Hysteroscopic enlargement metroplasty for T-shaped uterus: 24 years' experience at the Strasbourg Medico-Surgical and Obstetrical Centre (CMCO).

STUDY QUESTION: What is the impact of hysteroscopic enlargement metroplasty for T-shaped uterus on the live birth rate? SUMMARY ANSWER: Performing enlargement metroplasty appears to improve the obstetrical prognosis and fertility in patients with a T-shaped uterus. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: T-shaped uterus is linked to an excess of myometrium in the uterine walls giving rise to a subcornual constriction ring which causes dysmorphism and hypoplasia of the uterine cavity. It is commonly associated with infertility or a sequence of repeated miscarriages. STUDY DESIGN: Single-centre observational cohort study in 112 patients who underwent enlargement metroplasty for T-shaped uterus between 1992 and 2016 in a Strasbourg university hospital centre. MAIN RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 33.2; they had been attempting to conceive on average for 56 months for subfertile patients and 42.2 months for infertile patients. Prior to surgery, patients had succeeded in becoming pregnant 161 times, i.e. a mean gravidity of 1.4 pregnancies. For subfertile patients the mean gravidity was 2.67. Mean parity was 0.04. In the overall population, one hundred pregnancies occurred following enlargement metroplasty. The live birth rate increased in a statistically significant manner following enlargement metroplasty: 4 (2.5%) vs. 60 (60%), p < 0.05. In parallel, the miscarriage rate was statistically reduced: 126 (78.3%) vs. 22 (22%), pnull< .05. Intraoperative complications were 1 case of cervical laceration (0.9%) and 1 case of false passage (0.9%). Subsequent pregnancies remained at risk of miscarriage (22%) and premature delivery (20%) but not extra uterine gestation. Delivery took place by Caesarean section in 61% of cases. In the subgroup of infertile patients, the live birth rate was also markedly increased and 49% of pregnancies which occurred were spontaneous. LIMITATIONS: This study was descriptive and retrospective. WIDER IMPLICATIONS: These results are consistent with those in the literature. Hysteroscopic enlargement metroplasty is now a well-established technique with few complications but which should nevertheless be reserved for symptomatic patients.

Implementation of laparoscopy surgery training via simulation in a low-income country.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate laparoscopy training using pelvitrainers for gynaecological surgeons in a low-income country. METHODS: The study was carried out in Madagascar from April 2016 to January 2017. The participants were gynaecological surgeons who had not previously performed laparoscopy. Each surgeon was timed to evaluate the execution times of four proposed exercises, based on the fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery (FLS) programme's skills manual, as follows: exercise 1, involving a simple object transfer; exercises 2 and 3, comprising complex object transfers; and exercise 4, a precision cutting exercise. The 8-month training and evaluation programme was divided into different stages, and the four following evaluations were compared: a pretest (T0), assessment at the end of the first training (T1) and auto-evaluation at 2 months (T2) and 8 months (T3). RESULTS: Eight participants were included. The median time was significantly reduced (P<0.05) at each evaluation for exercises 1, 2 and 4 compared to the pretest. For exercise 3, there was no difference between T0 and T1 (P=0.07). After 8 months of training, all participants progressed in all exercises. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that it is possible and beneficial to develop a programme for teaching laparoscopic surgery in low-income countries before providing the necessary equipment.

Laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy in patients with intermediate-risk endometrial cancer: Is it worth it?

OBJECTIVE: The main aim of this study is to evaluate operative and postoperative morbidity of laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy as well as its potential impact on the postoperative management in patients with an intermediate-risk of endometrial cancer. METHODS: We did a retrospective study between January 2009 and December 2013. We included all patients operated by laparoscopy for endometrial cancer presumed to have an intermediate-risk of recurrence. Pelvic lymphadenectomy in this group of patients was performed at the discretion of operating surgeons. Patients were consequently divided into two groups according to whether or not pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed. We made a comparative analysis between these two groups. RESULTS: Overall, 116 patients were managed for endometrial cancer presumed to be intermediate-risk. Among these, 93 received treatment with laparoscopy and were included in the study. Patients' characteristics did not differ between the two groups. The mean duration of surgery was significantly longer when pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed. The average number of retrieved lymph nodes was 13 and we had seven patients with positive lymph nodes (10%). CONCLUSION: Pelvic lymphadenectomy allows a better postoperative classification for some patients without more complication.

[Laparoscopic treatment of cesarean scar pouch - A case series study of 9 patients]. / Prise en charge cœlioscopique des isthmocèles ­ Étude d'une série de 9 cas.

OBJECTIVES: To study the effects of laparoscopic repair of isthmoceles acquired after a cesarean section on symptoms and fertility. METHODS: This retrospective case series study included symptomatic women (abnormal uterine bleeding and/or pelvic pain and/or infertility) suffering from a large isthmocele and treated laparoscopically in our center. The surgical procedure consisted in resecting the pouch and suturing the scar in 2 layers. The patient follow-up has been realised through the postoperative control, the medical file and a survey, and concerned the evolution of the symptoms and fertility. RESULTS: Nine patients have been included, all suffering from large isthmoceles, diagnosed by transvaginal ultrasound associated with hysteroscopy, hysterosalpingography or MRI. Postoperatively, the symptoms disappeared in 78% of the patients. There have been 4 spontaneous pregnancies in 4 patients, 3 of them had been diagnosed with infertility. The median patient medical follow-up lasted 28 months. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of a large isthmocele in patients suffering from invalidant symptoms and infertility should lead to consider a surgical treatment which is an efficient and surgically safe procedure.

Pelvic tuberculosis mimicking deep endometriosis.

Pelvic tuberculosis is most frequently observed in developing countries and often leads to the misdiagnosis of pelvic malignancy. We report the first case of pelvic tuberculosis mimicking deep endometriosis.

Uterus transplantation in France: for which patients?

OBJECTIVE: Uterine infertility (UI), which can be caused by a variety of congenital or acquired factors, affects several thousand women in Europe. Uterus transplantation (UTx), at the current stage of research, offers hope for these women to be both the biological mother and the carrier of their child. However, the indications of UTx still need to be defined. The main aim of the study was to describe the different etiologies of UI and other data as marital and parental status from women requesting UTx who contacted us in the framework of a UTx clinical trial. Secondarily, we discussed the potential indications of UTx and their feasibility. STUDY DESIGN: This is an observational study. RESULTS: Of a total of 139 patients with UI, 105 patients (75.5%) had uterine agenesis, making it the leading cause of UI in this sample. Among the patients with uterine agenesis, 25% had a solitary kidney and 44.7% had undergone vaginal reconstruction. Peripartum hysterectomy, hysterectomy for cancer, and hysterectomy for benign pathologies accounted for 9.4%, 7.2% and 5% of cases, respectively. Less common causes of UI included complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (2.2% of patients) and prenatal diethylstilbestrol exposure (0.7%). Approximately 14% of the women already had at least one child and 66% were in a couple living together for at least 2 years. CONCLUSION: UTx is still under evaluation and further research is under way. Nulliparous patients with no major medical or surgical history and with normal ovarian function, who meet the legal criteria for medically assisted reproduction, represent the best indications for UTx at this stage of its development.

[Intra uterine devices removal during office hysteroscopy: About 36 cases]. / Retrait des dispositifs intra-utérins sous hystéroscopie en consultation : à propos de 36 cas.

OBJECTIVES: To assess effectiveness and patient tolerance of office hysteroscopy performed for the removal of intra-uterine devices (IUDs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single center, retrospective study from May 2005 to June 2012. Analysis of the office hysteroscopy database only retrieving data concerning IUD removals: 36 hysteroscopies were performed for IUD removal with mean age of 40±7 years old (20-51), mean parity of 2.1±1.09 (0-5), and mean gestity of 2.5±1.14 (0-5). The indication was failure of IUD removal in an office setting, mostly because of non-visible sutures (33 cases, 91.6%), in 3 cases owing to broken sutures (8.4%). We performed then an office hysteroscopy using a 5.5mm hysteroscope. Either sutures or the IUD itself were grasped, then removed under visual control. Main end point was technique effectiveness, namely success or failure of IUD removal. Secondary end point equals to patient tolerance. RESULTS: We included 36 patients. IUD removal was effective in 34 out of 36 cases (94.4% success rate). Patient tolerance was rated good for 12 patients (52%), acceptable for 10 (44%), poor for one (4%) and a vasovagal episode occurred in 3% of cases. CONCLUSION: Office hysteroscopy performed to remove IUDs difficult to extract is an effective method, generally achieving good patient tolerance and reduced morbidity.

[New in hysteroscopy: hysteroscopic morcellators]. / Nouvelle technique en hystéroscopie : les morcellateurs hystéroscopiques.

A new technology recently appeared for the treatment of endo-uterine pathologies: hysteroscopic morcellators. It seemed to us useful to review this new technology. The morcellator we mostly experiment is the Myosure®, in 14 patients, with a median age of 40.5 years (28-58). The time of procedure went from 5 to 75 min with a median time at 26 min. The median of the total fluid deficit was 300 mL (0-1500 mL). A conversion in traditional resectoscopy happened in 4 cases (29%). This results are not so good as in literature. This is probably bound to one the learning curve but also the type of pathology. For the operative time, all the studies agree that hysteroscopic morcellation is faster than hysteroscopic resection. The quantity of fluid used is also lesser, as the deficit of fluid when the morcellator is used. The percentage of success to remove the pathology is high, close to 100% for the polyps and 92% for the submucous myomas. The indications are the polyps and the submucous myomas type 0 or 1. The morcellation of remnant trophoblastic tissues is also described and seems effective. Others indications, as the removal of uterine septum or cure of uterine synechias, are criticisable. In conclusion, hysteroscopic morcellators are probably a great progress for the cure of the endo-uterine pathologies. They cannot yet concurrence the hysterosopic resectoscopes for the treatment of big submucous myoma or those with a large intramyometrial involvement.

[PROSPERE randomized controlled trial: laparoscopic sacropexy versus vaginal mesh for cystocele POP repair]. / Étude randomisée comparant la promontofixation cœlioscopique à la chirurgie prothétique par voie vaginale pour le traitement des cystocèles : PROSPERE (PROSthetic PElvic organ prolapse REpair).

BACKGROUND: Cystocele is a frequent and invalidating type of genital prolapse in woman. Sacropexy using synthetic mesh is considered the surgical gold standard, and the laparoscopic approach has supplanted the open abdominal route because it offers the same anatomical results with a lower morbidity. The use of mesh through the vaginal route may have many advantages: easiness to perform, shorter operative time and recovery, but may increase morbidity. In France, both laparoscopic sacropexy and vaginal mesh are commonly used to treat cystoceles. The French Haute Autorité de santé (HAS) has highlighted the lack of evaluation of safety assessment for vaginal meshes. METHOD/DESIGN: The main objective of the study is to compare the morbidity of laparoscopic sacropexy with vaginal mesh for cystocele repair. The primary endpoint will be the rate of surgical complications greater or equal to grade 2 of the Clavien-Dindo classification at 1-year follow-up. The secondary aims are to compare the functional results in the medium term (sexuality, urinary and bowel symptoms, pain), the impact on quality of life as well as anatomical results. PROSPERE is a randomized controlled trial conducted in 12 participating French hospitals. 262 patients, aged 45 to 75years old, with cystocele greater or equal to stage 2 of the POP-Q classification (isolated or not) will be included. Exclusion criterias are a previous surgical POP repair, and inability or contra-indication to one or the other technique. We have designed this study to answer the question of the choice between laparoscopic sacropexy and vaginal mesh for the treatment of cystocele. The PROSPERE trial aims to help better determine the indications for one or the other of these techniques, which are currently based on subjective choices or school attitudes. This is the reason why competent authorities have asked for such studies.

Total transvaginal mesh (TVM) technique for treatment of pelvic organ prolapse: a 5-year prospective follow-up study.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: To evaluate clinical effectiveness and complication rates at 5 years following the total Trans Vaginal Mesh (TVM) technique to treat pelvic organ prolapse. METHODS: Prospective, observational, multi-centre study in patients with prolapse of stage II or higher. RESULTS: Of the 90 women enrolled in the study, 82 (91%) were available for the 5-year follow-up period. At the 5-year endpoint, success, defined as no surgical prolapse reintervention and leading edge <-1 (International Continence Society [ICS] criteria) or above the level of the hymen, was 79% and 87% respectively. A composite criterion of success defined as: leading edge above the hymen (<0) and no bulge symptoms and no reintervention for prolapse was met by 90%, 88% and 84% at the 1-, 3-, and 5-year endpoints respectively. Quality of life improvement was sustained over the 5 years. Over the 5-year follow-up period, a total of only 4 patients (5%) required re-intervention for prolapse, while a total of 14 patients (16%) experienced mesh exposure for which 8 resections needed to be performed. Seven exposures were still ongoing at the 5-year endpoint, all asymptomatic. Only 33 out of 61 (54%) sexually active patients at baseline remained so at 5 years. De novo dyspareunia was reported by 10%, but no new cases at the 5-year endpoint. One patient reported de novo unprovoked mild pelvic pain at 5 years, 5 reported pains during pelvic examination only. CONCLUSIONS: Five-year results indicated that TVM provided a stable anatomical repair. Improvements in QOL and associated improvements in prolapse-specific symptoms were sustained. Minimal new morbidity emerged between the 1- and 5-year follow-up.

[Treatment of the tubo-ovarian abscesses]. / Prise en charge des abcès tubo-ovariens.

The antibiotic treatment is indispensable for the treatment of the tubo-ovarian abscesses (TOA). It has to have a wide spectre and would be secondarily adapted in case of a sexually transmitted infection. The surgery remains indicated in first intention in case of vital threat (generalized peritonitis, toxic shock). In the not complicated TOA, the evacuation of abscesses (by draining under imaging or laparoscopy) with the antibiotic treatment gives better rates of cure than the antibiotic treatment alone. For the surgery, several entrys are possible. The laparoscopy allows a shorter hospitalization with fewer complications and a faster resolution of the fever than the laparotomy. The conservative surgery, realized by laparoscopy, has hight rates of successes with few complications. The radical surgery, by coelioscopy or by laparotomy, has high rates of complications. Transvaginal ultrasound guided aspiration is an alternative in the drainage by laparscopy with identical succes. It has been well evaluated. It has low morbidity and can be proposed in first intention in not complicated TOA.

Setting up robotic surgery in gynaecology: the experience of the Strasbourg teaching hospital.

Teleoperated surgical robots could provide a genuine breakthrough in laparoscopy and it is for this reason that the development of robot-assisted laparoscopy is one of the priorities of the Strasbourg University Hospitals' strategic plan. The hospitals purchased a da Vinci S(®) robot in June 2006 and Strasbourg has, in IRCAD, one of the few robotic surgery training centres in the world. Our experience has, however, revealed the difficulties involved in setting up robotic surgery, the first of which are organizational issues. This prospective work was carried out between December 2007 and September 2008, primarily to examine the possibility of setting up robotic surgery on a regular basis for gynaecological surgical procedures at the Strasbourg University Hospitals. We maintained a "logbook" in which we prospectively noted all the resources implemented in setting up the robotic surgery service. The project was divided into two phases: the preparatory phase up until the first hysterectomy and then the second phase with the organization of subsequent hysterectomies. The first surgical procedure took 5 months to organize, and followed 25 interviews, 10 meetings, 53 telephone conversations and 48 e-mails with a total of 40 correspondents. The project was presented to seven separate groups, including the hospital medical commission, the gynaecology unit committee and the surgical staff. Fifteen members of the medical and paramedical team attended a two-day training course. Preparing the gynaecology department for robotic surgery required freeing up 8.5 days of "physician time" and 12.5 days of "nurse time". In the following five months, we performed five hysterectomies. Preparation for each procedure involved on average 5 interviews, 19 telephone conversations and 11 e-mails. The biggest obstacle was obtaining an operating slot, as on average it required 18 days, four telephone calls and four e-mails to be assigned a slot in the operating theatre schedule, which is prepared on average 28 days in advance. It is extremely important for organising robotic surgery and assembling the surgical teams to have a series of operating slots allocated a sufficiently long time in advance. Considerable benefits would be had by setting up a team of anaesthetists and especially perioperative nurses dedicated to robotic surgery.