Retrospective analysis of urogynecological symptoms of patients undergoing gynecological oncology surgery

Objectives: Treating gynecological cancer with radical surgery, pelvic radiotherapy, and systemic chemotherapy may lead to pelvic floor dysfunction. Materials and Methods: Lower urinary tract symptoms are common after surgery for gynecological cancer. We used the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI)-6, Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ)-7, and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) to compare the severity of urinary incontinence and quality of life between patients who underwent staging surgery for gynecological caner and those who underwent hysterectomy for benign disease. In total, 50 patients with cancer and 50 patients with benign disease were included in the patient and control groups, respectively. Results: There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of preoperative IIQ-7, UDI-6, and ICIQ-SF scores. There was a significant difference between the groups in scores 1 and 12 months after surgery. Postoperative IIQ-7, UDI-6, and ICIQ-SF scores were significantly increased compared to preoperative scores, although there were no significant differences between preoperative and postoperative scores in the control group. Incontinence was present after surgery in 15 (43.2%) and 4 (21.1%) patients in the test and control groups, respectively. In multivariate analyses of variance, surgery for cancer was an independent risk factor for urinary incontinence. Conclusion: Genitourinary symptoms should be evaluated in cancer patients undergoing staging procedure. The quality of life of patients should be assessed in terms of incontinence in the postoperative period

Effect of abdominal hot pack application on gastrointestinal motility recovery after comprehensive gynecologic staging surgery

Objective: To evaluate whether abdominal hot water pack application improves gastrointestinal motility following gynecological oncology surgery. Methods: The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04833699). (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04833699?cond=NCT04833699&draw=2&rank=1). In this randomized controlled trial, participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to the hot water pack group (standardized enhanced recovery protocols plus rubber water bag with a fluffy cover filled with boiled tap water [80°C] and placed on the abdomen at 3, 6, 9, and 12 h postoperatively for 30 min each time) or the control group (standardized enhanced recovery protocols). A subumbilical or supraumbilical vertical midline incision was made to perform staging surgery procedures, including hysterectomy, salpingo-oophorectomy with retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. The primary outcome was the time to first passage of flatus from the end of the staging procedure. Results: In total, 121 women were randomized to the control (n = 62) or hot water pack (n = 59) group. The use of an abdominal hot water pack significantly reduced the mean time to passing first flatus (25.2 ± 3.6 vs. 30.6 ± 3.9 h; hazard ratio [HR] = 4.4; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.8–7.1; P < 0.0001), mean time to first bowel movements (28.4 ± 4.0 vs. 34.4 ± 4.5 h; HR = 4.9; 95% CI: 3.0–7.9; P < 0.0001), mean time to first defecation (33.4 ± 4.9 vs. 41.0 ± 7.6 h; HR = 4.3; 95% CI: 2.1–6.8; P < 0.0001), and mean time to tolerating solid diet (2.1 ± 0.6 vs. 2.8 ± 1.0 days; HR = 4.4; 95% CI: 2.2–8.7; P < 0.0001) compared to the control group. The postoperative ileus incidence was significantly lower in the hot water pack group (3.4%) than the control group (16.1%) (P = 0.01). Conclusion: Abdominal hot water pack application improved gastrointestinal function recovery in women following surgical staging procedures for gynecological malignancy