N. Kadar, THE LAPAROSCOPIC MANAGEMENT OF OVARIAN-CARCINOMA - PRELIMINARY-OBSERVATIONS AND SUGGESTED PROTOCOLS, Gynaecological endoscopy, 7(3), 1998, pp. 151-156
The laparoscopic management of seven women with primary ovarian cancer
is described. One had stage I disease, four had stage IIIB and IIIC d
isease, and two were restaged after suboptimal primary operations. Bot
h patients who were restaged had aortic lymph node metastasis. All pat
ients were left with either no residual or minimal residual disease. T
he mean anaesthetic time was 4.25 h, the average blood loss 542 ml, th
e median hospital stay 3 days, and there were no surgical complication
s. Five patients received chemotherapy prior to discharge. The laparos
copic management of ovarian cancer is discussed in the light of this n
ecessarily anecdotal experience, and the widely held view that laparos
copic surgery is contraindicated in women with suspected ovarian cance
r is shown to be untenable. Protocols for the laparoscopic management
of patients with early and advanced stage disease are outlined and dis
cussed.