Abstract

Almost 100 years ago, radical hysterectomy was established by Ernst Wertheim as the surgical technique for the treatment of invasive cervical cancer. However, due to the complicated anatomy of the female pelvis, the method has been modified by many surgeons. Among these modifications, the method by Hidekazu Okabayashi at Kyoto Imperial University in Japan, published in 1921, was more radical and outstanding. Then, Okabayashi's method became a standard surgical procedure for invasive cervical cancer in Japan. We have discovered the historical film of radical hysterectomy performed by Okabayashi himself in 1932. In order to share the information of Okabayashi's radical hysterectomy, we decided to distribute the film through the website of IJGC. Moreover, as the direct descendant of Okabayashi, I have further modified the operation clarifying precise anatomy necessary for Okabayashl's radical hysterectomy. In addition, I also clarified the anatomy necessary for nerve sparing Okabayashi's radical hysterectomy. These two films modified by Shingo Fujii are also available on the IJGC website in the hope that these anatomical findings will be useful for young gynecologic surgeons.