ABSTRACT
It is a proximal-type radical intervention performed by a vaginal approach, and preceded by laparoscopy performed purely for lymph node dissection. Developed by Dargent, this operation permits radical ablation of the cervix and vaginal vault (figure 11.2), while preserving the endocervix’s upper part, the uterine body and the adnexae, then re-establishes the isthmo-vaginal continuity. Possibility of subsequent pregnancy can thus be preserved in cases of early cervical cancers. This intervention is, therefore, solely performed on young women with a wish for future pregnancies. It is also limited to tumours that are small (less than 20 mm) and completely exocervical, that is to say, if a sufficient tumour margin can be obtained by sectioning the upper endocervix. It should only be carried out in cases where there is no dissemination to the lymph nodes, in which case concomitant radiochemotherapy would have to be performed.
