Can laparoscopy be done for gynecological cancer?

  The question of whether patients with gynecologic malignancies can undergo laparoscopy has been a long-standing one. Not only patients have doubts, but also some doctors have concerns about the perioperative period and the safety of tumor prognosis of minimally invasive surgery for gynecologic malignancies. This is not unreasonable. From the patients’ perspective, some patients often ask, “Doctor, can laparoscopy cut cleanly? Will there be any residue?” From the perspective of some doctors, a more professional question will be raised: “Due to the older age of gynecological malignant tumor patients compared to benign gynecological disease patients, the complexity of the surgical procedure, the long operation time, and the existence of traumatic implantation and recurrence of malignant tumors, whether the minimally invasive surgery’s are safe or not.”  After years of practice, the application of laparoscopy in gynecological surgery is becoming more and more widespread, and 90% of open gynecological surgery can be completed under laparoscopy. However, for gynecologic malignant tumors, the number of open surgery cases is still generally more than that of laparoscopic surgery, indicating that open surgery still dominates in gynecologic malignant tumors.  However, after a large number of studies, it is now possible to say that it is feasible, reasonable and safe for surgeons skilled in laparoscopic surgery to perform minimally invasive radical surgery in the treatment of gynecologic malignancies.  It has been widely reported that laparoscopic surgery in gynecologic malignancies such as cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer has comparable or even better results than traditional open surgery. The study showed that despite the long operation time in the laparoscopic group, there was less intraoperative bleeding, shorter intestinal recovery time, shorter hospital stay, and fewer postoperative complications. Laparoscopy for gynecologic malignancies does not increase intraoperative complications and decrease survival rates.  As the saying goes, a ruler has his strengths and an inch has his weaknesses. For example, the operation time is relatively long, and when the adhesions in the abdominal cavity are serious and the patient is obese, the “mirror” of laparoscopy cannot play its proper role, just like the eyes are blocked, so the operation cannot be carried out smoothly, and sometimes it will be converted to open surgery.  In conclusion, the safety of laparoscopic surgery for gynecologic malignant tumors is positive, and laparoscopy can be done for cancer. However, not all patients with gynecologic malignancies need to undergo laparoscopy. To determine the specific surgical plan, it surely depends on the patient’s condition and specific analysis of the problem. Only to choose the most suitable plan is the best account to the patient.