When Less Is More: Minimally Invasive Surgery Compared with Laparotomy for Interval Debulking After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Women with Advanced Ovarian Cancer

To compare outcomes of advanced ovarian cancer patients who had minimally invasive surgery (MIS) with outcomes of advanced ovarian cancer patients who had laparotomy for interval cytoreduction after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). Retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). One large teaching hospital with a tertiary referral function for gynecologic oncology and MIS. All consecutive patients with stages III to IV epithelial ovarian, tubal, or peritoneal cancer who underwent MIS or laparotomy for interval cytoreduction after at least 1 NACT cycle from 2006 to 2017 at 1 institution. Patients underwent either MIS or laparotomy for interval cytoreduction after at least 1 cycle of NACT. Medical records were reviewed and data abstracted and analyzed. Survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and outcomes were compared with Fisher's exact test, Student's t test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and the log-rank test. In total, 157 assessable patients underwent interval cytoreductive surgery through MIS (n = 53) or laparotomy (n = 104). MIS was completed without conversion in 44 of 53 patients (83%), of whom 20 required a hand port and/or mini-laparotomy. R-zero and optimal resections were achieved in 60.4% and 96.3% of MIS patients respectively, compared with 42.3% and 82.7% of laparotomy patients (p = .02). MIS patients had lower estimated blood loss (EBL; 156 vs 278 mL, p