title: Laparoscopy-assisted transvaginal resection of sigmoid cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopy-assisted transvaginal resection of sigmoid cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2009 to 2011 we performed 21 laparoscopy-assisted transvaginal resections of sigmoid cancers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The resected tumours were T1(6), T2(7) and T3(8). The median number of resected lymph nodes was 15. Median operative time was 150 min and no conversion to open technique was necessary. A total of eighteen patients tolerated a liquid diet 24 h after surgery. The average VAS pain score (0 = no pain, 10 = unbearable pain) was 1.8 after 24 h and 1.1 after 48 h. One patient experienced a postoperative ileus, two patients had vaginal spotting with serous flow and three patients suffered urinary tract infections. One patient developed a hernia at the umbilical trocar site that was operated on. None of the sexually active patients reported any differences in sexual activity pre-op and postop on a postoperative questionnaire. After a median of 25 (10-41) months of follow-up, all patients are alive and well, with no evidence of recurrent disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopy-assisted transvaginal resection of sigmoid cancer is feasible and safe in a selected group of patients.
authors.affiliation: Consorcio Sanitario Publico del Aljarafe, Hospital San Juan de Dios, Bormujos, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alba Mesa
authors.affiliation: Department of Laparoscopic Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre Jesús Usón, Cáceres, Caceres, Spain.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sanchez Hurtado
authors.affiliation: Department of Laparoscopic Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre Jesús Usón, Cáceres, Caceres, Spain.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Sanchez Margallo
authors.affiliation: Consorcio Sanitario Publico del Aljarafe, Hospital San Juan de Dios, Bormujos, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Romero Fernandez
authors.affiliation: Consorcio Sanitario Publico del Aljarafe, Hospital San Juan de Dios, Bormujos, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amaya Cortijo
authors.affiliation: Consorcio Sanitario Publico del Aljarafe, Hospital San Juan de Dios, Bormujos, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernandez Ortega
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial, Cancer Centre, Kraków, Poland. Electronic address: alkomorowski@wp.pl.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Komorowski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D061646:Operative Time; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012811:Sigmoid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014621:Vagina
keywords: Colonic neoplasms; Minimally invasive surgical procedures; Natural orifice endoscopic surgery