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ABSTRACT: To evaluate the clinical experience of the total laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (TLRH) for the surgical management of cervical cancer in obese (body mass index [BMI] >30 kg/m) and nonobese (BMI <30 kg/m) women.
Data were collected prospectively on intraoperative and postoperative parameters and complications for all women undergoing a TLRH for cervical cancer. Patients were classified as obese, BMI >30 kg/m, or nonobese, BMI <30 kg/m. Assessment of surgical radicality was made by comparing the excision specimens in the 2 groups with a cohort of open radical hysterectomy cases performed before the introduction of the TLRH.
A total of 58 women underwent a TLRH; 15 (25.9%) were obese and 43 (74.1%) were in the nonobese group. There was no significant difference in intraoperative blood loss or median duration of surgery between the obese and nonobese groups. The median hospital stay in both groups was 3 days (range, 2-13 days). Four cases were converted to laparotomy (7%); all were in the nonobese group. Postoperatively, 3 patients developed ischemic ureterovaginal fistulae (5%) between days 5 and 7 after surgery; all were in the nonobese group. There was no significant difference in the parametrial length, maximum vaginal cuff length, and number of lymph nodes excised between the 2 groups. To date, there has been one recurrence during the median follow-up period of 19 months (range, 3-42 months). She belonged to the nonobese group.
The TLRH is a surgically safe procedure for early-stage cervical cancer. Obesity did not adversely affect the performance of TLRH or the radicality of the excision. In obese women, TLRH should be the favored route of surgery for all women who require a radical hysterectomy owing to its favorable perioperative outcome and short hospital stay.
International Journal of Gynecological Cancer 11/2011; 22(1):101-6. · 1.65 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Concerns have been raised as to whether the current postgraduate training programme for gynaecological surgery is being detrimentally affected by changes in working practices, in particular the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the surgical activity of obstetrics and gynaecology trainees and to explore trainees' and trainers' opinions on the current barriers and potential solutions to surgical training.
Two questionnaire surveys were conducted, one to obstetrics and gynaecology trainees working within the West Midlands Deanery and a second to consultant gynaecologists in the West Midlands region.
One hundred and four trainees (64.3%) and 66 consultant gynaecologists (55.0%) responded. Sixty-six trainees (66.7%) reported attending up to one operating list per week. However, 28.1% reported attending up to one list every two weeks or less and 5 trainees stated that they had not attended a list at all over the preceding 8 weeks. Trainees working in a unit with less than 3999 deliveries attended significantly more theatre sessions compared to trainees in units with over 4000 deliveries (p = 0.007), as did senior trainees (p = 0.032) and trainees attached to consultants performing major gynaecological surgery (p = 0.022). In the previous 8 weeks, only 6 trainees reported performing a total abdominal hysterectomy independently, all were senior trainees (ST6 and above). In the trainers' survey, only two respondents (3.0%) agreed that the current program produces doctors competent in general gynaecological surgery by the end of training, compared to 48 (73.8%) respondents who disagreed.
Trainees' concerns over a lack of surgical training appear to be justified. The main barriers to training are perceived to be a lack of team structure and a lack of theatre time.
BMC Medical Education 06/2011; 11:32. · 1.15 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To assess the potential malignant risk of vulval premalignant conditions, in particular, to investigate whether there is a difference in the cancer risk between women with the 2 types of vulval intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN).
All vulval biopsy specimens taken for any reason in a single center for a 5-year period were identified. The histologic reports of 1309 biopsy specimens from 802 women were reviewed, and all pathologic conditions present were recorded for each woman. Reports of patients with biopsy specimens containing usual-type VIN, differentiated-type VIN, lichen sclerosus, and squamous hyperplasia were selected and analyzed for the presence of metachronous or subsequent carcinoma to give a proportional risk for each condition.
Five hundred eighty women were identified with premalignant vulval conditions: 171 had usual-type VIN, 70 had differentiated-type VIN, 191 had lichen sclerosus, 145 had squamous hyperplasia, and 3 had other conditions not included in this analysis. Within these groups, the numbers of women with prior, synchronous, or subsequent vulval squamous cell carcinoma were 44 (25.7%), 60 (85.7%), 53 (27.7%), and 53 (31.7%), respectively (P = 0.000).
Differentiated-type VIN is significantly more associated with vulval squamous cell carcinoma than usual-type VIN.
International Journal of Gynecological Cancer 06/2009; 19(4):741-4. · 1.65 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To assess the frequency of recurrence of vulval carcinoma, arising from the background of usual-type vulval intraepithelial neoplasia (uVIN), differentiated VIN (dVIN, and nonneoplastic epithelial disorders (NNEDs).
A retrospective review was conducted of 200 pathology specimens of vulval squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) from 154 women over a 5-year period. The pathologic findings were reviewed where information of the adjacent pathology and number of recurrences of carcinoma for each woman were recorded. The number of recurrences was then correlated with the adjacent pathology using logistical regression analysis.
The overall recurrence rate for vulval carcinoma was 22.6%. A single recurrence occurred in 12.9% of patients, whereas 5.8% had 2 recurrences and 3.9% has 3 recurrences of vulval carcinoma. The odds ratio (OR) of having a recurrence of VSCC associated with dVIN alone is 3.85 (95% CI 0.52, 28.24) and 4.3 when associated with dVIN in combination with NNEDs (95% CI 0.84, 21.92), whereas with VSCC associated with uVIN the OR is 1.35 (95% CI 0.20, 9.01).
Vulval cancers arising on a background of dVIN appear more likely to recur than cancers arising from undifferentiated VIN; this is compounded by the concurrent presence of NNEDs.
The Journal of reproductive medicine 07/2008; 53(6):397-401. · 0.87 Impact Factor
