Background: Abdominal wound extraction site continues to be a major source of morbidity after laparoscopic-assisted surgery.
Methods: A 59-year-old African American woman with a past history of T3N2M1 colon cancer, who underwent laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy and wedge liver resection (segment IV A) followed by adjuvant chemotherapy was our subject for this study. Twelve months later, she was found to have a positron emission tomography positive liver lesion of 6.5 cm at the left lateral liver segment. A combined laparoscopic-transvaginal approach was used. Four 5-mm trocars were used. The liver parenchyma was divided using the harmonic scalpel, whereas the left hepatic vein was transected using the laparoscopic transvaginal vascular stapler. The specimen was placed in an endobag and extracted transvaginally. The specimen size was 14×8×3.5 cm and that of the lesion was 6.5×5.7×4 cm. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 2.
Results: Operative time was 120 minutes and blood loss was minimal. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 2. No postoperative complications were found after 30 days.
Conclusions: Laparoscopic-assisted natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery results in quicker recovery, less postoperative pain, and potential wound-related complications. This technique is safe and effective with excellent aesthetic results. (Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/SLE/A54).