Incidental injury and repair of obturator nerve during laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate a surgical video wherein left obturator nerve was iatrogenically injured during pelvic lymphadenectomy and repaired immediately with laparoscopic epineural end-to-end tension free anastomosis.

METHODS: This is a step-by-step demonstration of an incidental injury and laparoscopic repair of left obturator nerve during pelvic lymphadenectomy. The patient was a 59year-old Hispanic female who was found to have endometrial adenocarcinoma. She was referred to our division for laparoscopic staging during which left obturator nerve was iatrogenically injured. After completion of left pelvic lymphadenectomy, proximal and distal cut ends of the obturator nerve were identified. Careful inspection revealed that the nerve was transected cleanly without any fraying of the edges. Tension-free reattachment of the edges seemed possible without further mobilization of the nerve since the resected part was approximately 5mm. The obturator nerve edges were oriented and stay sutures were placed in order to perform tension-free anastomosis. Epineural end-to-end coaptation was completed with 5-0 polypropylene sutures [1,2].

RESULTS: Postoperatively, the patient did not exhibit any clinically apparent loss of adductor function or any other neurologic deficiency and was discharged home on postoperative day one. Over 6months of follow-up, the patient experienced no residual neuropathy or deficit in the left thigh.

CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic repair of a transected obturator nerve during gynecologic surgery is feasible. In this case, immediate repair of the damaged nerve by an experienced laparoscopic gynecologic surgeon did not result in any neurologic deficit postoperatively.