Anatomical location of the surgically identifiable bladder branch of the inferior hypogastric plexus for nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy

• Published in: Gynecologic oncology reports 2023-04, Vol.46, p.101152-101152, Article 101152
• Main Authors: Sekiyama, Kentaro, Fujii, Shingo, Mandai, Masaki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bladder dysfunction; Cervical cancer; Hypogastric nerve; Pelvic plexus; Pelvic splanchnic nerve; Research Report; Surgical anatomy
• ISSN: 2352-5789; 2352-5789
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gore.2023.101152

•The location of the bladder branch for nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy remains controversial.•The bladder branch was surgically identified on the rectovaginal ligament parallel and dorsal to the vaginal vein.•The bladder branch was identified as subdivided into the lateral and medial parts.•The lateral part of the bladder branch was directly derived from the pelvic splanchnic nerve.•The medial part of the bladder branch was derived from the inferior hypogastric plexus. We aimed to demonstrate the entire structure of the inferior hypogastric plexus in the female pelvis focusing on surgically identifiable nerve bundles to the urinary bladder. Surgical videos of transabdominal nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy for 10 patients with cervical cancer at International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO 2009) stage IB1–IIB were retrospectively analyzed. The paracervical tissue dorsal to the ureter was separated into the lateral component (dorsal layer of the vesicouterine ligament) and medial component (paracolpium) using Okabayashi’s technique. Any bundle-like structures in the paracervical area were isolated and divided using cold scissors, and each cut edge was inspected to determine whether the bundle was a blood vessel or a nerve. In all cases, the surgically identifiable nerve bundle of the bladder branch was identified on the rectovaginal ligament running parallel and dorsal to the vaginal vein of the paracolpium. The bladder branch was revealed only after complete division of the vesical veins in the dorsal layer of the vesicouterine ligament where no definitive nerve bundles were observed. The bladder branch was derived laterally from the pelvic splanchnic nerve and medially from the inferior hypogastric plexus. The surgical identification of the nerve bundle of the bladder branch is essential for a safe and secure nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy. The preservation of the surgically identifiable bladder branch from the pelvic splanchnic nerve as well as from the inferior hypogastric plexus can provide satisfactory postoperative voiding function.