Ovarian Cancer Surgery – The Goal Is Removing All Visible Disease

“Patients who are especially good candidates for primary ovarian cancer surgery have larger pelvic masses, because we know the larger the mass the less [likely] it will respond well to primary chemotherapy,” Dr. Chapman explains. “Younger and healthier patients, and in ovarian cancer young can still be 65 and someone who’s very active and has very few medical problems. So, age is only a part of the consideration. Overall health is very important.”

Discussing whether surgery or chemotherapy should come first during ovarian cancer treatment with your doctor is also very important. Women should be open with their physician about their anxieties or fears concerning surgery. If a patient is nervous about going through surgery, doctors can give them chemotherapy first which may decrease the risk of complications during the procedure. On the other side, if a patient wants to go through surgery immediately, that is something they should relay to to their doctor. However, there might be more surgical risks if a patient does not go through chemo first.

“It’s a long discussion with patients to help understand what their priorities are and to make sure they’re educated about the risks associated with each strategy,” Dr. Chapman says.

Ovarian Cancer Surgery: What To Know

The ovarian cancer surgery experience is different for every patient, and doctors will determine which method is best suited for the most successful outcomes. In most cases, surgeons will remove the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries through a hysterectomy, which removes the uterus and cervix, and a bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy, which removes both ovaries and the fallopian tubes.

Removal of other organs or parts of organs depends on what doctors see at the time of surgery. If the cancer has spread beyond the reproductive organs, a doctor will remove as much of it as possible. This technique is called “Debulking,” which may require removing portions of the bowel, bladder, stomach, appendix, liver, spleen, or pancreas. If part of your bladder is removed, doctors will place a thin tube called a catheter into the bladder to remove urine. In most cases, the need for an ostomy bag or catheter is temporary. Once the body has recovered from the procedure, your bowel and bladder will likely resume normal functioning.

Ovarian cancer surgery can be a long process, taking up to several hours. Following surgery, patients may stay in the hospital up to 7 days so doctors can monitor potential side effects and pain after the procedure. Luckily, most women will be able to resume their daily routine 4 to 6 weeks after surgery.

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