Laparoscopic type 3 radical hysterectomy with enclosed colpotomy using the Bakay technique for early-stage cervical cancer: a retrospective case series.

BACKGROUND: Recent developments in cervical cancer treatment have highlighted concerns about minimally invasive surgery. Our team explored an innovative approach that might address these concerns while preserving the patient benefits of laparoscopic procedures. METHODS: We studied 11 women with early-stage cervical cancer who underwent surgery using our modified approach. Instead of using traditional uterine manipulators, we employed the Bakay technique—creating a protective seal around the tumor site before removal. This approach aims to prevent cancer cells from spreading during surgery, addressing a key concern with minimally invasive procedures. RESULTS: Our diverse patient group included women across different age ranges with predominantly squamous cell carcinoma. Two patients needed additional radiation therapy due to specific risk factors. No recurrence was observed in any patient during follow-up (median 35 months; range 8–48 months). The 5-year OS rate, estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method, was 100% in this small series. CONCLUSIONS: This small retrospective series demonstrates that fully laparoscopic tumor containment using the Bakay technique is technically feasible and was associated with no recurrences over a median follow-up of 35 months. These preliminary findings justify evaluation in larger prospective studies designed to determine whether this approach can achieve oncological outcomes comparable to open radical hysterectomy.