The laparoscopic exposure of the sacral roots and the pelvic splanchnic nerves in women during radical pelvic surgery – feasibi

Introduction The nervi splanchnici pelvini were first described as nervi erigentes by Eckhardt in 1863 (1). Since this time, the neuroanatomy of the pelvic plexus using cadaveric microdissection and serial histologic sectioning in human fetuses or using the immunohistochemy technique has been well explored. With the introduction of laparoscopy into the field of pelvic retroperitoneal surgery, laparoscopic exposure and dissection to all pelvic somatetic and autonomous nerves has become possible (2) and intraoperative elaboration of an functional cartography of the inferior hypogatsric plexus using the LAparoscopic Neuro-Navigation LANN-technique (2) was established. In the actual work we report on our anatomical findings concerning the laparoscopic exposure and electrostimulation of the sacral nerves roots in their endopelvic portion and of the pelvic splanchnic nerves in women during laparoscopic pelvic surgery.