Robot-assisted surgical staging for ovarian cancer in pregnant women

Abstract

The use of the da Vinci Surgical System is becoming popular among surgeons as it allows more control than the standard laparoscopic approach, with comparable benefits and risks. The use of the da Vinci Surgical System during pregnancy was reported earlier and showed to be as safe as laparoscopy. The use of the da Vinci Surgical System in ovarian cancer during pregnancy has not been reported before. To our knowledge, this is the first report of robot-assisted surgical staging for presumed early ovarian cancer. Two women aged 29 and 39 underwent laparotomy for ovarian cystectomy, for presumed benign pathology; the final pathology showed ovarian malignancy. Both patients were referred to a tertiary center and meanwhile became pregnant, and decided to keep the pregnancy. The staging was achieved using robot-assisted surgery in mid-trimester. The use of the da Vinci Surgical System during pregnancy is feasible and safe at mid-trimester. More robot-assisted surgeries during pregnancy will be needed before final recommendations can be made.