This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Anterior approach laparoscopy may be better for treatment of primary malignant sacral tumors
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
According to researchers of this recently published retrospective case-control study, the use of laparoscopy with an anterior approach did not increase surgical time and decreased intraoperative blood loss and the need for intraoperative red blood cell transfusions in patients treated for primary malignant sacral tumors.
Researchers included two groups of patients with primary malignant sacral tumors (PMSTs) who were operated for “en bloc” resection through a combined anterior and posterior approach. A laparoscopy in the anterior approach was used for 11 patients and a laparotomy in the anterior approach was used for 22 patients, researchers noted. Researchers analyzed intraoperative morbidity, surgical duration and postoperative morbidity in both groups of patients.
Patients who underwent a laparoscopy experienced less operative blood loss of 71.9 mL as compared with 2,140 mL for the laparotomy group. There was no significant difference in blood loss between the groups for the posterior approaches.
The laparoscopy group needed significantly fewer red blood cell transfusions, 3.7 on average, vs. 10.1 transfusions for the laparotomy group.
Researchers noted the lengths of hospitalization and intensive care unit stays, quality of surgical margins, digestive complications and surgical site infections were not significantly different between the two groups.
Researchers concluded an “en bloc” resection of PMST with a combined approach using laparoscopy can effectively reduce blood loss and red blood cell transfusions, while taking no longer than a laparotomy. – by Robert Linnehan
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts