Vaginal Stump Ligation for Cervical Cancer

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the effect of vaginal stump ligation in laparoscopic cervical cancer surgery on the prevention of cancer cell detachment. METHODS: The study was conducted from 2010 to 2015, in Xuzhou Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Jiangsu Province, China. Seventeen cases of laparoscopic surgery of cervical cancer in control group were observed, and the vaginal stump was irrigated with normal saline after the operation and the washing fluid was searched for cancer cells. Moreover, 43 cases of cervical cancer patients received the same operational procedure, and the vaginal stump was ligated in the surgery and the vagina was incised below the ligature. RESULTS: The number of cancer cells in the vaginal washing fluid of the experimental group was significantly more than that of the control group. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, the number of pelvic lymph node dissected, vaginal resection length and parametrium resection length. By comparing the postoperative recovery indicators and complications, we found no significant difference in anal exsufflation time, the incidence of vaginal stump infection, the recovery time of postoperative urinary function and incidence of lymphocysts. Finally, there was no significant difference in the quality of life scores between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Vaginal stump ligation can reduce cancer cell detachment in cervical cancer surgery, and therefore can help preventing cancer cell implantation and tumor recurrence caused by cancer cell detachment.