Total Laparoscopic Versus Laparotomic Radical Hysterectomy and Lymphadenectomy in Cervical Cancer: An Observational Study of 13-Year Experience

This article aims to review our 13-year experience in the treatment of patients with cervical cancer by comparing total laparoscopic radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy with laparotomy. We reviewed all patients undergoing total laparoscopic or laparotomic radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy because of cervical cancer between 2001 and 2014 in our hospital. In total, 154 eligible patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Ia–IIb were enrolled, including 106 patients undergoing total laparoscopic procedure and 48 patients undergoing laparotomic procedure. In the present study, patients in total laparoscopy group were associated with superior surgical outcomes, such as significantly lower blood transfusion compared to those in laparotomy group. Furthermore, patients had significantly lower postoperative complication rate in total laparoscopy group compared with that in laparotomy group (24.5% vs 52.1%) (P = 0.001). Three patients (2.8%) in total laparoscopy group had unplanned conversion to laparotomy. Disease-free survival rates were 89.7% and 88.9% in total laparoscopy and laparotomy groups (P = 0.39), respectively, and overall survival rates were 90.2% in total laparoscopy group and 91.3% in laparotomy group (P = 0.40). Total laparoscopic procedure is a surgically and oncologically safe and reliable alternative to laparotomic procedure in the treatment for cervical cancer.