Sentinel Node Biopsy by Transvaginal Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery in a Patient with Early-Stage Cervical Cancer: A Case Report

Abstract

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has emerged as an accurate tool to identify lymph node metastases in patients with cervical cancers. This procedure is generally performed by conventional or robotic-assisted laparoscopy, but SLNB by transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) has been described for the surgical staging of endometrial cancer. This transvaginal approach seems to be associated with reduced surgical morbidities and could be of particular interest in managing cancer patients. In this article, we report the use of a retroperitoneal vNOTES approach to perform SLNB in a patient with cervical cancer, and we provide a step-by-step description of the surgical technique. This surgical approach seems to be the least invasive way to perform pelvic SLNB and could represent a valuable approach to properly managing patients with early-stage cervical cancers after a free-margin conization. However, more studies are needed before expanding the use of this surgical approach outside study settings.

Keywords

• sentinel node
• sentinel lymph node biopsy
• cervical cancer
• natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery
• surgical staging
• transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery