Laparoscopic Resection of Pelvic Schwannomas: A 9-Year Experience at a Single Center

BACKGROUND: Pelvic schwannoma (PS), a type of slow-growing and noninvasive neoplasm that occurs in the pelvis, is relatively rare in adults. However, due to the anatomical structures, surgical excision of the tumors is often difficult using the traditional approach. METHODS: Data of patients who underwent laparoscopic excision of PS at our hospital between September 2012 and September 2021 were reviewed. All surgeries were performed in the general surgery department. Clinical data were collected from the inpatient and outpatient medical records. RESULTS: In total, 12 patients (median age, 52 years) underwent laparoscopy for PS without conversion to laparotomy. Eight cases of tumors were located in the presacral space, and the others were found in the lateral wall of the pelvis (N = 4). The median operative time was 145 (range, 70–215) minutes, with a median blood loss of 35 (range, 5–200) mL. Among all cases, 3 patients experienced minor postoperative complications. The median postoperative hospital stay was 4 (range, 2–7) days. Moreover, postoperative pathological examinations showed that all PSs were benign. No patient experienced local recurrence during a median follow-up period of 32 (range, 2–106) months. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that laparoscopic resection of PS is feasible, which has a significant advantage in enhancing the accessibility of pelvic structures and preserving nerve and vascular integrities.