INTRAOPERATIVE LIVER-BIOPSY WITH THE LOOP ELECTROSURGICAL EXCISION PROCEDURE IN PATIENTS WITH GYNECOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES

When patients with gynecologic malignancies undergo exploratory surger y, hepatic lesions suggestive of malignancy are occasionally encounter ed, In 18 patients undergoing laparotomy for gynecologic cancer, visib le liver lesions suggestive of malignancy were biopsied with the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). Hemostatic suture placement was required in 3 of these 18 patients, and in 15, hemostasis was ach ieved with electrocautery only, Three of the 18 biopsies (16.7%) were positive for malignancy, No intraoperative or postoperative complicati ons were attributed to the liver biopsy, One patient required postoper ative transfusion of 2 units packed red blood cells, A new technique i s described using the LEEP to remove suspicious lesions during explora tory laparotomy in patients with gynecologic malignancies. (C) 1996 Ac ademic Press, Inc.