title: Oncologic results and surgical morbidity of laparoscopic nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy in the treatment of FIGO stage IB cervical cancer: long-term follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate a long-term follow-up data for oncologic results and surgical morbidity of a laparoscopic nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy (NSRH) in the treatment of FIGO stage IB cervical cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study that comprised consecutive 125 patients with cervical cancer stage IB1 (n = 105) and IB2 (n = 20) who underwent a laparoscopic NSRH (Piver type III) by a gynecologic oncologist without selecting patients from January 1999 to December 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In regression analysis, the operating time (R linear = 0.311, P < 0.001) and estimated blood loss (R linear = 0.261, P < 0.001) were decreased, whereas the number of harvested pelvic lymph nodes (R linear = 0.250, P < 0.001) was increased. Seventeen patients (13.6%, 17/125) were found to have pelvic node metastasis. Para-aortic node metastasis had occurred in 2 patients (5.1%, 2/39). There were high urological complications (13/125, 10.4%) related to radical surgery. Forty-one patients (33%) needed transfusions. Positive surgical margins did not exist. Patients were able to self-void at a mean of 10.3 days postoperatively. The return rates to normal voiding function at postoperative 14 and 21 days were 92.0% and 95.2%, respectively. Thirteen patients (IB1 n = 9, IB2 n = 4) experienced a recurrence postoperatively. Six patients (IB1 n = 3, IB2 n = 3) died of recurrent disease. Five-year disease-free survival rates of cervical cancer IB1 and IB2 were 92% and 78%, respectively (P = 0.1772). Five-year overall survival rates of cervical cancer IB1 and IB2 were 96% and 83%, respectively (P = 0.0437).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A laparoscopic NSRH for FIGO stage IB cervical cancer was comparable to open NSRH in terms of early recovery of bladder function. It did not compromise surgical radicality, but revealed high urological complications, long operating time, and much blood loss, compared with conventional radical hysterectomy. However, these surgical morbidities were corrected with increase in experiences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Nae Yoon
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Gun Oh
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Dae Gy
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Young Lae
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Il Soo
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yoon Soon
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*