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Ontario Health Technology Assessment... 2023Robotic-assisted surgery has been used in Ontario hospitals for over a decade, but there is no public funding for the robotic systems or the disposables required to...
BACKGROUND
Robotic-assisted surgery has been used in Ontario hospitals for over a decade, but there is no public funding for the robotic systems or the disposables required to perform robotic-assisted surgeries ("robotics disposables"). We conducted a health technology assessment of robotic-assisted hysterectomy (RH) for the treatment of endometrial cancer in people with obesity. Our assessment included an evaluation of the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of RH, as well as the 5-year budget impact for the Ontario Ministry of Health of publicly funding RH. It also looked at the experiences, preferences, and values of people with endometrial cancer and obesity, as well as those of health care professionals who provide surgical treatment for endometrial cancer.
METHODS
We performed a systematic literature search of the clinical evidence to identify systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials relevant to our research question. We reported the risk of bias from the included systematic review. We assessed the quality of the body of evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group criteria. We performed a systematic economic literature search. We also analyzed the 5-year budget impact of publicly funding RH (including total, partial, and radical procedures) for people with endometrial cancer and obesity in Ontario. To contextualize the potential value of RH for people with endometrial cancer and obesity, we spoke with people with lived experience of endometrial cancer and obesity who had undergone minimally invasive surgery (either laparoscopic hysterectomy [LH] or RH), and we spoke with gynecological cancer surgeons who perform hysterectomy.
RESULTS
We included one systematic review in the clinical evidence review. An indirect comparison showed that conversion rates to open hysterectomy (OH) were similar for LH and RH in patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m (6.5% vs. 5.5%, respectively) (GRADE: Very low). An indirect comparison within a subset of patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m showed that a higher proportion of patients who underwent LH required conversion to OH compared with patients who underwent RH (7.0% vs. 3.8%, respectively) (GRADE: Very low). Rates of perioperative complications were similarly low for both LH and RH (≤ 3.5%) (GRADE: Very low). We identified two studies that met the inclusion criteria of our economic literature review. The included economic studies found RH to be more costly than OH or LH for endometrial cancer; however, because these studies were conducted in other countries, the results were not applicable to the Ontario context. Assuming a moderate increase in the volume of robotic-assisted surgeries, our reference case analysis showed that the 5-year budget impact of publicly funding RH for people with endometrial cancer and obesity would be $1.14 million. The budget impact analysis results were sensitive to surgical volume and the cost of robotics disposables. The people we spoke with who had lived experience of endometrial cancer and obesity, as well as gynecological cancer surgeons, spoke favourably of RH and its perceived benefits over OH and LH for people with endometrial cancer and obesity.
CONCLUSIONS
Compared with LH, RH is associated with fewer conversions to OH in patients with endometrial cancer and obesity (i.e., those with a BMI ≥ 40 kg/m). Rates of perioperative complications were similarly low for both LH and RH. The cost-effectiveness of RH for people with endometrial cancer and obesity is unknown. We estimate that the 5-year budget impact of publicly funding RH for people with endometrial cancer and obesity would be $1.14 million. People we spoke with who had lived experience of endometrial cancer and obesity reported favourably on their experiences with minimally invasive hysterectomy (either LH or RH) and emphasized the importance of the availability of safe surgical options for people with obesity. Gynecological surgeons perceived RH as a superior alternative to OH and LH for people with endometrial cancer and obesity.
Topics: Female; Humans; Robotic Surgical Procedures; Technology Assessment, Biomedical; Endometrial Neoplasms; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Laparoscopy; Hysterectomy
PubMed: 38026449
DOI: No ID Found -
European Journal of Obstetrics,... Sep 2023A Cesarean Scar Pregnancy (CSP) is a variant of uterine ectopic pregnancy defined by full or partial implantation of the gestational sac in the scar of a previous... (Review)
Review
A Cesarean Scar Pregnancy (CSP) is a variant of uterine ectopic pregnancy defined by full or partial implantation of the gestational sac in the scar of a previous cesarean section. The continuous increase of Cesarean Deliveries is causing a parallel increase in CSP and its complications. Considering its high morbidity, the most usual recommendation has been termination of pregnancy in the first trimester; however, several cases progress to viable births. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the outcome of CSP managed expectantly and understand whether sonographic signs could correlate to the outcomes. An online-based search of PubMed and Cochrane Library Databases was used to gather studies including women diagnosed with a CSP who were managed expectantly. The description of all cases was analysed by the authors in order to obtain information for each outcome. 47 studies of different types were retrieved, and the gestational outcome was available in 194 patients. Out of these, 39 patients (20,1%) had a miscarriage and 16 (8,3%) suffered foetal death. 50 patients (25,8%) had a term delivery and 81 (41,8%) patients had a preterm birth, out of which 27 (13,9%) delivered before 34 weeks of gestation. In 102 (52,6%) patients, a hysterectomy was performed. Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS) was a common disorder among CSP and was linked to a higher rate of complications such as foetal death, preterm birth, hysterectomy, haemorrhagic morbidity and surgical complications. Some of the analysed articles showed that sonographic signs with specific characteristics, such as type II and III CSP classification, Crossover Sign - 1, "In the niche" implantation and lower myometrial thickness could be related to worse outcomes of CSP. This article provides a good understanding of CSP as an entity that, although rare, presents with a high rate of relevant morbidity. It is also understood that pregnancies with confirmed PAS had an even higher rate of morbidity. Some sonographic signs were shown to predict the prognosis of these pregnancies and further investigation is necessary to validate one or more signs so they can be used for a more reliable counselling of women with CSP.
Topics: Pregnancy; Infant, Newborn; Humans; Female; Cesarean Section; Premature Birth; Cicatrix; Watchful Waiting; Pregnancy, Ectopic; Pregnancy Outcome; Placenta Accreta; Fetal Death; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 37421745
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2023.06.030 -
Journal of Personalized Medicine Nov 2022Uterine leiomyomas usually arise from the uterine body (95%), and rarely from the cervix (0.6%) or other urogenital sites. Lipoleiomyomas are benign, uncommon variants...
Uterine leiomyomas usually arise from the uterine body (95%), and rarely from the cervix (0.6%) or other urogenital sites. Lipoleiomyomas are benign, uncommon variants of leiomyomas (0.03-0.2%), histologically composed of smooth muscle cells and mature adipocytes; they usually occur in the uterine body and exceptionally in the cervix. We performed the first systematic literature review of cervical lipoleiomyomas (PRISMA guidelines), presenting five new cases. Including our series, thirty-one detailed cases were reported in the literature (mainly in Asia). The age range was 35-74 years, revealing a higher mean age than conventional cervical leiomyomas (46.5 vs. 39.4 years). Patients were usually multiparous (94%), typically complaining of vaginal bleeding (11/31, 36%), pelvic/abdominal pain (10/31, 32%), and/or urinary disturbances (6/31, 19%) 1 week to 10 months before presentation. Clinical examination revealed a pedunculated tumor (48%), or prolapse of ≥1 pelvic organs (16%). Twenty-four (77%) patients underwent total hysterectomy ± additional surgery; simple myomectomy/excision was performed in five (16%) cases. Only one (3%) of our cases recurred 2 years after partial excision; no evidence of disease was found 13 years after recurrence excision. Adipocytes occupied ≤50% of the tumor volume. Hyaline or myxoid changes and cartilaginous metaplasia were uncommon histological findings. Surgically challenging cases or pregnant patients may require expert gynecologists. Interventional radiology or conservative treatments were rarely proposed.
PubMed: 36579603
DOI: 10.3390/jpm12111852 -
Journal of Robotic Surgery Jun 2023As robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) expands to smaller centres, platforms are shared between specialities. Healthcare providers must consider case volume and mix required...
As robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) expands to smaller centres, platforms are shared between specialities. Healthcare providers must consider case volume and mix required to maintain quality and cost-effectiveness. This can be informed, in-part, by the volume-outcome relationship. We perform a systematic review to describe the volume-outcome relationship in intra-abdominal robotic-assisted surgery to report on suggested minimum volumes standards. A literature search of Medline, NICE Evidence Search, Health Technology Assessment Database and Cochrane Library using the terms: "robot*", "surgery", "volume" and "outcome" was performed. The included procedures were gynecological: hysterectomy, urological: partial and radical nephrectomy, cystectomy, prostatectomy, and general surgical: colectomy, esophagectomy. Hospital and surgeon volume measures and all reported outcomes were analysed. 41 studies, including 983,149 procedures, met the inclusion criteria. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale and the retrieved data was synthesised in a narrative review. Significant volume-outcome relationships were described in relation to key outcome measures, including operative time, complications, positive margins, lymph node yield and cost. Annual surgeon and hospital volume thresholds were described. We concluded that in centres with an annual volume of fewer than 10 cases of a given procedure, having multiple surgeons performing these procedures led to worse outcomes and, therefore, opportunities should be sought to perform other complimentary robotic procedures or undertake joint cases.
Topics: Male; Humans; Robotic Surgical Procedures; Robotics; Prostatectomy; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Hospitals
PubMed: 36315379
DOI: 10.1007/s11701-022-01461-2 -
Medicine Jul 2022This study aimed to systematically review the existing literature on epithelioid trophoblastic tumors (ETTs), the rarest type of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia.
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to systematically review the existing literature on epithelioid trophoblastic tumors (ETTs), the rarest type of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia.
METHODS
A systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines was performed, using ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. The only filter used was the English language. Eligibility/inclusion criteria: retrospective observational studies (case reports, case series) including full case description of epithelioid trophoblastic tumor lesions.
RESULTS
Seventy studies were assessed for synthesis, including 147 cases. 66.7% of patients with ETT presented with irregular vaginal bleeding. Pretreatment β-hCG levels ranged up to 1000 mIU/mL in 58.5% patients. Of most patients, 42.2% had stage I disease, 10.9% stage II, 25.2% stage III, and 21.8% of patients had stage IV. The most common sites of metastatic disease were the lungs, followed by the liver and brain. After treatment, complete remission was achieved in 75.5% of patients, partial remission in 10.2% of patients, and 14.3% of patients died. On univariate and multivariate analyses, stage IV disease was an independent prognostic factor for overall and disease-free survival.
CONCLUSIONS
Hysterectomy and metastatic lesion resection are essential for controlling ETT. Investigational studies on molecules like EGFR, VEGF, PD-1, CD105, and LPCAT1 are potential therapeutic targets for metastatic ETT.
Topics: Female; Gestational Trophoblastic Disease; Humans; Hysterectomy; Pregnancy; Trophoblastic Neoplasms; Uterine Neoplasms
PubMed: 35905248
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000029934