New Surgical Technique for Endometrial Cancer Using the Da Vinci Xi Robotic System and ICG Dye

22 January 2018

A patient with endometrial cancer underwent a new surgical procedure at HYGEIA Hospital for the first time in Greece. The technique was performed by Vasileios Sioulas, Gynecologist/Oncologist and HYGEIA Group associate, using the latest generation Da Vinci Xi robotic system. The robotic hysterectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy were performed using Indocyanine Green (ICG) dye.

Endometrial cancer is the most commonly occurring form of malignant gynecological cancer. In most cases, it is diagnosed at an early stage. Its surgical treatment using the DaVinci Xi robotic system, with its built-in Firefly camera, allows the use of ICG dye to identify the sentinel lymph node. The sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node that drains a cancer and as a consequence runs a higher risk of being affected by lymphatic metastasis. Mapping the sentinel lymph node during surgery ensures a greater chance of it being detected and consequently removed. Note that ICG-mapped sentinel lymph nodes are not visible to the naked eye (open surgery) or common laparoscopic cameras.

The benefits of this new technique include greater accuracy in the diagnosis of lymphatic metastasis, while limiting the complications of random lymph node dissection. The technique also ensures all the benefits of minimally invasive surgery: elimination of large incisions, limited postoperative pain, one-day hospitalization, faster recovery and better aesthetic results.

As Mr Vasileios Sioulas, – Gynecologist/Oncologist and HYGEIA Group associate who has specialized in Gynecologic Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York – noted, “Following the current practice of large oncologic centers in the USA and Europe, we successfully performed a robotic hysterectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy using ICG dye for the first time in Greece. The targeted removal of the right lymph nodes ensures effective treatment of the disease, while maintaining the patient’s future quality of life.”