Comparative evaluation of surgical stress of laparoscopically assisted vaginal radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy and laparotomy for early-stage cervical cancer

The aim of this study was to objectively evaluate the benefits of laparoscopically assisted vaginal radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy for early-stage cervical cancer. Clinical data were prospectively collected from patients with IA-IIB cervical cancer who underwent laparoscopically assisted vaginal radical hysterectomy (n1=33) and laparotomy (n2=30). Peripheral blood samples were obtained prior to surgery and at 1 and 2 h into the operation, as well as on days 1, 4 and 7 following surgery to measure serum interleukin-6, C-reaction protein and cortisol. Results showed that there was no conversion to laparotomy in the laparoscopy group. The average blood loss was 317.23 +/- 217.20 ml (laparoscopy group) and 872.58 +/- 693.16 ml (laparotomy group). No significant difference was found in the number of resected pelvic lymph nodes (19.74 +/- 7.43 in the laparoscopy group and 20.35 +/- 6.62 in the laparotomy group). At days 1 and 7 after surgery, the serum IL-6 level was significantly different in the laparoscopy and laparotomy groups (day 1: laparoscopy group 17.14 +/- 16.53 pg/ml and laparotomy group 34.32 +/- 20.97 pg/ml, p=0.001; day 7: laparoscopy group 6.7 +/- 7.21 pg/ml and laparotomy group 17.54 +/- 16.47 pg/ml, p=0.001). The serum CRP level was significantly different at days 1 and 7 after the operation (day 1: laparoscopy group 7024.72 +/- 949.12 ng/ml and laparotomy group 7586.61 +/- 869.42 ng/ml, p=0.018; day 7: laparoscopy group 4357.71 +/- 2108.85 ng/ml and laparotomy group 6967.96 +/- 995.02 ng/ml, p<0.001). A significant difference was noted in the serum cortisol level at day 4 after the operation (122.29 +/- 65.17 ng/ml in the laparoscopy group and 186.76 +/- 68.61 ng/ml in the laparotomy group, p<0.001). In conclusion, the differences in clinical data and the various parameters pertinent to surgical stress evaluated in this study suggest that laparoscopic surgery for cervical cancer causes less postoperative stress than conventional open surgery.