title: Laparoscopic injury of the obturator nerve during fertility-sparing procedure for cervical cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intraoperative injury of the obturator nerve has rarely been reported in patients with gynecological malignancies undergoing extensive radical surgeries. Irreversible damage of this nerve causes thigh paresthesia and claudication. Intraoperative repair may be done by end-to-end anastomosis or grafting when achieving tension-free anastomosis is not possible.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 28-year-old woman with stage IB cervical cancer underwent fertility-sparing surgery, including conization and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy. The left obturator nerve was damaged intraoperatively during pelvic dissection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immediate laparoscopic repair was successful and there was no functional deficit in the left thigh for six months postoperatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant'Andrea Hospital, via di Grottarossa, 1035-1039, Rome 00189, Italy. enzo.ricciardi@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ricciardi
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jakimovska
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maniglio
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schimberni
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frega
authors.forename: Borut
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kobal
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moscarini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019092:Conization; D005260:Female; D059247:Fertility Preservation; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009776:Obturator Nerve / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*