Single-port laparoscopy and extraperitoneal para-aortic lymphadenectomy: About fourteen consecutive cases

Objective: To report the feasibility and reproducibility of single port extraperitoneal para-aortic lymphadenectomy in locally advanced cervical cancer. Methods: The same single port was used for the transperitoneal step and the extraperitoneal approach used thereafter (in the absence of peritoneal disease) for the lymphadenectomy. Para-aortic lymphadenectomy was performed via a left-sided extraperitoneal approach. Results: Fourteen consecutive patients with cervical cancer underwent a laparoscopic staging procedure (3 stage IB2, 10 IIB and 1 stage IVA). No patient had para-aortic FDG uptake on PET/CT. In one case lymphadenectomy was unfeasible because of vascular anomalies of the renal vessels (low insertion of 2 left renal arteries). The median operative time was 190 min (range, 135-250). The median number of lymph nodes removed was 14 [range, 2-23]. The definitive pathological analysis revealed that three patients had metastatic disease. No conversion to conventional multiport laparoscopy was necessary. Conclusions: This series reports that para-aortic lymphadenectomy technique via the extraperitoneal approach with a multichannel single port is feasible and reproducible.