Laparoscopic hysterectomy as optimal approach for 5400 grams uterus with associated polycythemia: A case report

BACKGROUND Uterine myomas are the most common benign gynecological soft tissue tumors in women but polycythemia associated with these tumors is rare.Polycythemia is significantly associated with risk of venous thromboembolism(VTE),which is further increased in case of a large pelvic mass and obesity.Here we report the surgical challenges in the case of an obese patient with a giant fibromatous uterus and associated polycythemia.CASE SUMMARY A 42-year-old obese woman was referred to our department for treatment for a huge fibromatous uterus.She suffered of pelvic pressure and abdominal distension and reported severe dyspnea from several months.Laboratory analyses including hemoglobin(Hb)19.2 g/dL and hematocrit(Hct)59.7%were indicative of polycythemia.Arterial blood gas analysis showed arterial oxygen pressure(pO2)of 81.5 mmHg.Abdominal computed tomography confirmed a giant fibromatous uterus measuring 28.2 cm×17 cm×25 cm.To reduce the thromboembolic risk,the patient underwent low molecular weight heparin,phlebotomy twice before surgery,and we opted for a laparoscopic hysterectomy.The uterus weighed 5400 g and the histology confirmed a diagnosis of leiomyoma.We did not find increased erythropoietin levels in the supernatant of the myomatous uterine tissue.There were no complications.On postoperative day 1,the Hb and the Hct levels normalized to 13.3 g/dL and 41.7%,respectively.Arterial blood gas analysis after surgery showed a pO2 of 144.7 mmHg.These results suggested the diagnosis of myomatous erythrocytosis syndrome.The patient was discharged on the second postoperative day in very good condition with no symptoms.CONCLUSION We believe this is the first reported laparoscopic hysterectomy in a patient with a giant uterus,polycythemia and obesity.Multiple VTE risk factors warranted a laparoscopic approach.

Laparoscopic management of a giant mucinous benign ovarian mass weighing 10150 grams:A case report

BACKGROUND Giant ovarian cysts(≥15 cm in diameter)are rare.The size limit of cysts and the methodology for a safe and successful minimally invasive surgery has not been established.Here we report a case of a large 10-kg multi-locular ovarian mass,which was successfully laparoscopically removed:Our aim was to innovate the surgical practice in this field by providing a safe,effective,and minimally invasive management method for such complex and rare cases.CASE SUMMARY A 49-year-old nulliparous woman presented with abdominal distension,lasting from six Mo prior to admission;she reported worsening abdominal pain,abdominal swelling,and mild dyspnea.Imaging showed a presumed benign multi-locular(>10 locules)left ovarian cyst that measured about 30 cm in diameter.Based on the IOTA-ADNEX model the mass had a 27.5%risk of being a borderline or malignant tumor.The patient was successfully treated via a direct laparoscopic approach with salpingo-oophorectomy,followed by the external drainage of the cyst.Tumor spillage was successfully avoided during this procedure.The final volume of the drained mucinous content was 8950 L;the cyst wall,extracted through the minilaparotomy,weighed about 1200 g.The pathologic gross examination revealed a 24 cm×15 cm×10 cm mass;the histologic examination diagnosed a mucinous cystoadenoma.To our knowledge,this is the first case of a giant multi-locular ovarian cyst treated with a direct laparoscopy with salpingo-oophorectomy followed by external decompression.CONCLUSION Choosing the appropriate technique and surgeon skill are necessary for a safe and effective minimally-invasive approach of unique cases involving giant ovarian cysts.

Novel technique of extracorporeal intrauterine morcellation after total laparoscopic hysterectomy: Three emblematic case reports

BACKGROUND In the presence of a large uterus,total laparoscopic hysterectomy(TLH),always requires morcellation to allow removal of the tissues from the abdominal cavity.However,uncontained morcellation has been scrutinized because of the possible spread of occult leiomyosarcoma.Therefore,in-bag extracorporeal morcellation has been developed.However,tissue containment and extraction are extremely challenging,especially when considering the increasing uterine size to be removed through minimally invasive surgery.CASE SUMMARY Herein,we describe a novel technique for extracorporeal intrauterine morcellation using the uterus outermost layer as a bag to achieve tissue extraction of very large uteri with suspected occult leiomyosarcoma after TLH.The study enrolled patients who were planned for TLH for large uteri(weight>500 g).TLH was performed following the procedure reported in our previous studies.The novel technique has been described step-by-step in a video,which representatively describes the preoperative imaging and morcellation procedure of three very large uteri weighing 1500 g,1700 g,and 3700 g,respectively.The procedures were performed without any complications.The patients had an uneventful postoperative course,and in all cases,the pathology was benign leiomyoma.CONCLUSION Extracorporeal intrauterine morcellation using the uterus outmost layer as a bag was found to be a feasible technique that allows a careful diagnosis and safe removal of suspected occult malignancies.The technique herein presented may be adopted in surgical practice,by adding it to the other available techniques of contained morcellation.It may represent a valid and feasible alternative,especially useful in cases of very large uteri exceeding the capacity of specimen retrieval bags.