In the 11 studies that have examined the incidence of leiomyosarcoma (LMS) since the 2014 communications by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA),1 Dr. Matthew Siedhoff and colleagues found that the cumulative LMS incidence in 318,006 women was 0.0017%, or approximately 1 in 600. This is according to data Dr. Seidhoff presented November 16, 2016, at the 45th annual AAGL Global Congress on MIGS.2 This reported risk is smaller than the 1 in 350 cited by the FDA in its 2014 notice.1 Dr. Seidhoff concluded that, particularly in women aged younger than 50 years, minimally invasive hysterectomy remains a safe option for the informed patient to consider.
Regardless of the incidence of unsuspected LMS found in the studies published since 2014, what have been the practice changes among gynecologic surgeons as a result of the FDA’s 2014 actions? Kerac N. Falk, MD, explored this question with his colleagues at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York, New York. He presented these findings to AAGL congress attendees on November 16 in Orlando, Florida.3 Notably, of 197 responders to a survey sent to members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, 12.5% reported decreasing their use of power morcellation. A full 38.8% reported discontinuing altogether the use of a power morcellator.
One in 5 (20%) of gyn oncologists previously using power morcellation reported switching to laparotomy. Importantly, the drive for the switch was “driven by media, patient request, and the FDA rather than physician choice,” Falk said.
What if physicians, and patients, have another choice?
Here at the AAGL meeting, Olympus announced the FDA clearance, marketing, and initial training on its contained tissue extraction system—the PneumoLiner containment device and its accompanying laparoscopic PK Morcellator (FIGURE).
FIGURE. Olympus PneumoLiner containment bag and PK Morcellator
Both tools, FDA cleared in April and October 2016, respectively, provide low-risk, appropriate women with “an improved safety device,” said Jubilee Brown, MD, AAGL representative on power morcellation to the FDA and Associate Director of Gynecologic Oncology at the Levine Cancer Institute of the Carolinas HealthCare System in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“We have found at our institution that we have had to do more opens and minilaps on patients without the option for power morcellation, and this new device offers a way for us not to have to do that. Minimally invasive surgery stays truly minimally invasive surgery,” said Dr. Brown.
“Although I have a handful of patients who have chosen open surgery over minimally invasive surgery when MIS was appropriate, by and large most patients prefer the minimally invasive approach to surgery—especially when they learn that they have reduced risk for complications, blood loss, and pain; will be back to normal life faster; and will have less cosmetic incisions,” said Dr. Brown. “We all have tried workarounds, but for low-risk, appropriate patients under FDA guidelines, this new device by Olympus brings us back to minimally invasive options, and that is a good thing.”
How does the Olympus containment system work?
The PneumoLiner is the first containment device to receive FDA market clearance that is designed for use with certain laparoscopic morcellators to isolate uterine tissue that is not suspected to contain cancer.4
The containment bag and morcellator are not indicated for use in women with tissue that is known or suspected to contain malignancy; and should not be used for removal of uterine tissue containing suspected fibroids in patients who are peri- or post-menopausal, or candidates for en bloc tissue removal vaginally or via mini-laparotomy.4
When insufflated, the PneumoLiner bag allows for space and surgeon visibility throughout the power morcellation procedure while maintaining a barrier to the escape of fluids, cells, and tissue fragments. The bag creates a barrier between the targeted tissue and nontargeted abdominal contents, minimizing the risk of inadvertent damage to adjacent structures, says Olympus.4 See this video, which demonstrates the procedure.
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Filtration, immersion, and stress testing were conducted to demonstrate the PneumoLiner as impermeable to human cells, that it maintains its integrity following morcellation, and that its mechanical strength withholds forces in excess of those demonstrated during actual use.5 To support FDA 510 clearance of the PK Morcellator, Olympus performed additional testing with both devices used together, demonstrating compatibility.4