Audit of preoperative and early complications of laparoscopic lymph node dissection in 1000 gynecologic cancer patients.

Objective: Establish the reliability and safety of minimal invasive surgery in gynecologic oncology in a large-scale study. Estimate the complication rate on a large sample size.

Study Design: From December 1998 to November 2004, 1000 gynecologic cancer patients underwent pelvic and/or aortic lymphadenectomies by laparoscopy. A total of 1192 pelvic and aortic lymphadenectomies have been performed: 777 pelvic (757 transperitoneal, 20 extraperitoneal) and 415 aortic lymphadenectomies (155 transperitoneal, 260 extraperitoneal). Main indications for laparoscopic lymph node dissection were: early cervical carcinoma (n = 456), advanced cervical carcinoma (n = 219), vaginal carcinoma (n = 4), endometrial carcinoma (n = 182), and ovarian carcinoma (n = 139). Surgical laparoscopic management via laparoscopy was achieved during the same operative session in 372 patients.

Results: No lethality occurred. Thirteen open surgeries (1.3%) were required as a result of failure to complete a satisfactory laparoscopic procedure. Intraoperative, early postoperative complication rate, and lymphocyst formation rate were 2.0%, 2.9%, and 7.1%, respectively. A laparotomy was required for complication in seven patients (7 per 1000), including five returns to operating room. Eleven significant intraoperative vascular injuries occurred, but none required a laparotomy. The most frequently encountered visceral complications were bowel complications (n = 7), urinary tract complications (n = 5), and nerve injuries (n = 5).

Conclusion: Evidence is given on a large series that laparoscopic lymph node dissection is safe. Laparoscopic surgery may be considered as the gold standard of assessment of the status of regional lymph nodes in gynecologic malignancies.