Thunderbeat Technology vs Standard Bipolar Electro Surgery in Laparoscopic Radical Hysterectomy and Pelvic Lymphadenectomy for Cervical Cancer

Radical abdominal hysterectomy (RAH) with pelvic lymphadenectomy is the standard surgical treatment for early stage cervical carcinoma FIGO stages IA2-IB1-IIA\<2cm1. Since the early 90's laparoscopic radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy (LRH) has been suggested as surgical approach for the treatment of cervical cancer. In the recent years, many institutions have begun to consider it an attractive technique and to study its feasibility and safety. Most of these studies have shown that LRH is relatively more time-consuming than standard laparotomy and ranges from 90 to 420 minutes according to surgeons' experience and different techniques adopted to achieve hemostasis, resect the parametrium and uterosacrals. Spirtos et al. demonstrated that staplers could reduce mean operation time from 253 to 205 minutes if compared to argon beam coagulator. Moreover, the pulsed bipolar system was associated with significant reduction in operative time in comparison with the conventional bipolar system (mean, 172 minutes vs 229 minutes; P \< 0.001). The largest series of LRH reported from a single institution by Puntambekar et al included 248 patients and described the "Pune technique" (anterior and posterior peritoneal U cuts, early dissection of the rectovaginal space, fully mobilization of the uterus, resection of the cardinal and uterosacral ligaments with Ligasure system (Ligasure Vessel Sealing System; Valleylab, Tyco Healthcare, Boulder, CO)), obtaining a very short mean operative time (mean, 92 minutes; range 6-120 minutes). A recent review on laparoscopic and robot-assisted radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy including 17 studies reported a mean operating time of 202 minutes \[range, 184-221 minutes\] in the group of LRH, which matches with our experience of 210 min (range 180-240), using conventional bipolar electrosurgery. The aim of this pilot RCT is to verify if the operative time of a LRH with pelvic lymphadenectomy for early stage cervical cancer (FIGO stages IA2-IB1-IIA\<2cm) and for advanced stage cervical cancer (FIGO stages IB2-IIA\>2cm-IIB) submitted to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) with complete clinical response could be further reduced using Thunderbeat (an ultrasonic energy device that incises and coagulates by using ultrasonic and bipolar technology ) (Olympus Medical Systems Corp, Tokyo) vs. bipolar electrosurgery . Saving operative time would mean shorter anesthesia and faster recovery, further improving the safety profile of the laparoscopic approach in the treatment of cervical cancer. Secondary endpoints of this comparison are incidence of intra- or postoperative complications (Cardiac, Respiratory, Neurological, Gastrointestinal, Renal, Fever, Wound or other Infection, Lymphocele), estimated blood loss, postoperative pain (evaluated by VAS), days of hospitalization and costs for the health care system.