Laparoscopic Resection of a High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer that Recurred at the Vaginal Stump with Extensive Pelvic Adhesions after Complete Surgical Staging.

Study Objective: To show laparoscopic resection of a high grade serous ovarian cancer that recurred at the vaginal stump with extensive pelvic adhesions after complete surgical staging.

Design: Stepwise demonstration of the procedure with narrated video footage.

Setting: University hospital.

Interventions: We reported a case of a 62-year-old woman with a history of complete surgical staging of high grade serous ovarian cancer staged IIB, which consisted of hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, pelvic and para-aortic lymph node dissection, and omentectomy, about 18 months before this admission. She received 6 courses of carboplatin/paclitaxel combination therapy after complete surgical staging and achieved complete remission. About 12 months after the last course of chemotherapy, she visited the local clinic because of irregular vaginal bleeding. Physical examination revealed a 3 × 3 × 2 cm mass at the vaginal vault. Biopsy of the mass was performed under colposcopy, and pathological reports showed recurrent high grade serous cancer. Her serum cancer antigen 125 level was in normal range. Positron emission tomographic/computed tomographic imaging (PET/CT) showed no evidence of disease dissemination. A diagnosis of recurrent high grade serous ovarian cancer was made. After the biopsy of the recurrent mass, there were no visible lesions, which made us believe that laparoscopy management would not contribute to intraperitoneal spread of the tumors. Therefore, laparoscopic resection of the vaginal stump was scheduled. The key steps of the procedure were summarized as follows. First, the bowels were released from the side abdominal wall to expose bilateral external iliac vessels. Second, bilateral ureters were identified and mobilized to avoid incidental ureter injuries. Third, we opened the rectovaginal space and detached the rectum from the posterior vaginal wall. Fourth, the posterior vesical wall was separated from the vaginal stump. After exposure of the key anatomic landmarks, laparoscopic resection of the vaginal stump was performed safely. Final pathologic report showed recurrent high grade serous ovarian cancer. The patient received 6 courses of carboplatin/paclitaxel combination therapy, and maintenance therapy with olaparib was suggested, but the patient refused to accept this suggestion. She is still in complete remission 8 months after surgery.

Conclusion: Laparoscopic resection of a high grade serous ovarian cancer that recurred at the vaginal stump with extensive pelvic adhesions after complete surgical staging was achieved successfully in a logical way. The critical point of the procedure is to expose the key anatomic landmarks of the pelvis to avoid incidental injuries [1].