Radical abdominal trachelectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy with uterine conservation and subsequent pregnancy in the treatment of early invasive cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Recently, pregnancies in patients after radical vaginal trachelectomy and laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy have been reported. Radical abdominal trachelectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy with uterine conservation has been previously described; however, subsequent outcome and pregnancy has not.
METHODS: Three patients with cervical carcinoma, 1 with stage IA1 with lymph-vascular space invasion and 2 with stage IA2, were treated with radical abdominal trachelectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy with uterine conservation.
RESULTS: All patients underwent the planned procedure with no significant intraoperative or postoperative complications. All patients had return to normal menstrual function. One patient had a successful pregnancy delivered at 39 weeks by cesarean section and is now subsequently pregnant with a second pregnancy.
CONCLUSION: Radical abdominal trachelectomy is a technically feasible operation that uses operative techniques familiar to the American-trained gynecologic oncologist and results in wider parametrial resection than radical vaginal trachelectomy. In young patients desiring to retain fertility, successful pregnancies after radical abdominal trachelectomy are possible. Intraoperative and postoperative complications are likely to be lower with an abdominal versus a vaginal approach. Long-term survival of patients treated with radical trachelectomy for early invasive cervical cancer are yet to be determined.