Improving Double Docking for Robot-assisted Para-aortic Lymphadenectomy in Endometrial Cancer Staging: Technique and Surgical Outcomes

Robot-assisted para-aortic lymphadenectomy (PALND) may prove to be a challenging procedure, and the ability to reach the planned anatomic landmarks is critical. In this retrospective study between 2012 and 2015, we present surgical data using a modified technique to perform infrarenal PALND for endometrial cancer using double side docking. All women with high-risk endometrial cancer scheduled for complete robotic staging including infrarenal PALND were included in the analysis. During the study period, a total of 76 women were identified. Three patients had disseminated disease and were treated with palliative hysterectomy only. The remaining 73 women underwent surgery with the intention to perform infrarenal PALND. In 7 cases, PALND was aborted because of technical inability to reach the left renal vein (10%). A median of 36 lymph nodes were harvested (pelvic n = 20, para-aortic n = 16). The median operating time (skin to skin) for patients with completed infrarenal PALND was 228 minutes (range, 181–371 minutes). Among all 76 patients, postoperative complications according to the Clavien-Dindo nomenclature were observed in 27 (36%) patients, with 6 (8%) having grade III complications. No patient died within 30 days from surgery. Our technique of double docking for robot-assisted PALND was associated with a success rate of 90%. The described technique seems to be a useful strategy to maximize the likelihood of completing the planned procedure.