Comparing outcomes of ovarian cystectomy by vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery versus laparoendoscopic single-site surgery: A retrospective cohort study

Background: We aimed to compare the outcomes of ovarian cystectomy (OC) performed by vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) vs transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients in our hospital who underwent OC either by vNOTES or LESS between January 2015 and September 2021. Demographic data were collected. The primary outcome was the conversion rate. The secondary outcomes were the duration of surgery, length of hospital stay, estimated blood loss, maximum body temperature within 48 hours after operation, and duration of maximum body temperature (hours), among others. Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS software. Results: Exactly 284 patients were screened. The vNOTES and LESS groups consisted of 21 and 47 patients, respectively. There was no significant difference in the conversion rates between the two groups (0 vs 8.5% in vNOTES and LESS, respectively; p = 0.303). Compared with the vNOTES group, the LESS group had a larger cyst diameter (6.00 ± 2.32 vs 4.69 ± 1.29 cm; p = 0.004), more endometriotic cysts (42.6% vs 9.5%; p < 0.001), and more pelvic adhesions requiring adhesiolysis (57.4% vs 19.0%; p = 0.003). At baseline, there were no other differences between the groups. The secondary outcomes included a shorter duration of surgery (70.14 ± 27.30 vs 99.57 ± 36.26 minutes; p = 0.001) and lower estimated blood loss (64.29 ± 39.19 vs 163.43 ± 251.20 mL; p = 0.011) in the vNOTES group. Regression analysis showed the diameter of the ovarian cyst correlated with surgical time. The complication was comparable between the two groups. Conclusion: Above all, the advantages of vNOTES include an absence of visible scars, shorter surgical duration, and less blood loss when compared with LESS. Further large-scale prospective trials should confirm the results of our study.