Extending cervicoplastic surgery: an alternative technique to overcome the limitation of office hysteroscopy

• Published in: Gynecological surgery 2020-12, Vol.17 (1), Article 8
• Main Authors: Calzolari, Stefano, Comito, Chiara, Pavone, Dora, Sorbi, Flavia, Castellacci, Eleonora, Giarrè, Giovanna, Andersson, Karin Louise, Dubini, Valeria, Petraglia, Felice
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anesthesia; Cervix; Electrodes; Endoscopy; Gynecological surgery; Gynecology; Hospital costs; Influence; Interventional Radiology; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Minimally Invasive Surgery; Obstetrics/Perinatology/Midwifery; Pain; Patients; Polyps; Reproductive Medicine; Surgical Oncology; Surgical techniques; Techniques and Instrumentation
• ISSN: 1613-2076; 1613-2084
• DOI: 10.1186/s10397-020-01076-1

Our objective is to show a feasible approach to the hysteroscopic procedures when the cervical canal has a diameter smaller than the lesion. Our study is designed as a case series and illustration of the surgical hysteroscopic technique. A group of patients ( n = 37) underwent office hysteroscopy in Regional Reference Center for Hysteroscopy Service at Palagi Hospital, Florence, Italy, to see and treat an endometrial polyp with unfavorable cervical conditions between January 2019 and December 2019. An office hysteroscopy in outpatient setting with vaginoscopic approach was performed in women with unfavorable cervical conditions. Fiber-based 3.5-mm hysteroscope, with 5F electrosurgery unit and 5F bipolar electrode, was used to perform the cervicoplasty in order to enlarge the cervical canal from internal to external os, following by the removal of the endometrial polyp with the excision of the base only without slicing. After 90 days, a follow-up hysteroscopy was performed. The procedure was performed successfully in 89.2% of patients. The surgical technique of cervicoplastic allows to perform an operative procedure without analgesia/sedation or anesthesia or blind cervical dilation, reducing the risk of complications and costs. Furthermore, cervicoplasty allowed the removal en bloc of the endocavitary lesion in all cases. At the follow-up hysteroscopy, the cervical passage was straight and smooth, without lesions repaired in all patients. Cervicoplasty is a technique which allows to perfume an ease and comfortable hysteroscopic procedure even in patients with unfavorable cervical canal. Due to the widening of the diameter of the cervical canal, intracavitary lesions are removed intact resulting in an optimal pathological evaluation.