Laparoscopic major gynecologic surgery in patients with prior laparotomy bowel resection

Background and Objectives: To review the success and morbidity of laparoscopic major gynecologic surgery in patients with prior laparotomy bowel resection. Methods: Review of a prospective surgical database of all cases of laparoscopic major gynecologic surgery in patients with prior laparotomy bowel resection. No cases were excluded. Bowel diagnoses and procedures were total colectomy for inflammatory bowel disease (4), partial colectomy for colon cancer (6), partial small bowel resection for obstruction (1), and Whipple for pancreatic cancer (2). Two patients had 3 prior laparotomies, 8 patients had 2 prior laparotomies, and 3 patients had 1 prior laparotomy. All prior abdominal incisions were midline. Gynecologic diagnoses and procedures were laparoscopic cytoreduction for ovarian cancer (1), lsh/bso/staging for ovarian cancer (1), lavh/bso/lymphadenectomy for endometrial cancer (4), and lavh/bso, lsh/bso, or bso for large ovarian mass (7). Median patient age was 57 years, median BMI was 31kg/m2, and all patients had medical comorbidities. Results: All 13 laparoscopic gynecologic surgeries were successful without trocar insertion injury, conversion to laparotomy, and without enterotomy. Abdominal adhesions were present in all cases. Median operative time was 2 hours, median blood loss was 100cc, and median hospital stay was 1 day. There were no postoperative complications. Conclusion: Laparoscopic major gynecologic surgery in patients with prior laparotomy bowel resection is feasible for experienced laparoscopic surgeons.