Transvaginal Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery Myomectomy: A Novel Route for Uterine Myoma Removal

Abstract

Study objective: Transvaginal surgery is the most minimally invasive surgery for a gynecologic procedure, but it has the limitation of lack of exposure and limited surgical space when using traditional vaginal surgical instrumentation, such as in a hysterectomy for a uterus without descent or for a myomectomy. Transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) offers similar benefits of traditional vaginal surgery but also expands the horizon of transvaginal surgery by allowing the surgeon to perform procedures that are typically limited to an abdominal approach. The advantages of NOTES may include no incisional pain as well as a better cosmetic outcome. These benefits help outweigh the obstacle of learning this novel approach. Our objective is to demonstrate the transvaginal NOTES technique as a combination of traditional vaginal surgical skill with single-site surgical skill.

Design: Stepwise demonstration of the transvaginal NOTES technique for myomectomy with narrated video footage (Canadian Task Force classification III).

Setting: Academic tertiary care hospital.

Patient: A 42-year-old woman.

Interventions: Transvaginal NOTES myomectomy with combined transvaginal surgical and single-site surgical skills.

Measurements and main results: A 42-year-old woman (gravida 2 para 2) with a preoperative transvaginal ultrasound diagnosis of a 6-cm left anterior myoma requested myoma removal with uterine preservation. She presented with a 2-year history of left pelvic pain and menorrhagia. The myoma was removed with minimal blood loss, and pathology revealed a necrotic myoma. The patient had resolution of her left-sided pelvic pain.

Conclusions: Combined with traditional transvaginal anterior colpotomy, single-site surgical skills allow the surgeon to access the entire abdomen and perform myomectomy through a transvaginal single port. Transvaginal NOTES myomectomy is not only possible but allows myomectomy to be performed with no abdominal incision.

Keywords: Laparoscopic; Myomectomy; NOTES; Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery.