Nongynecologic surgery in patients with ovarian cancer - Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the incidence of non-gynecological surgical procedures used in the treatment of ovarian cancer, as well to describe their complications. METHODS: eighty-two patients with ages from 22 to 89 (mean = 54.1 ± 15.1 years), submitted to laparotomy for surgical treatment of ovarian cancer from February 1999 to October 2003 were retrospectively evaluated. This study included only patients with epithelial ovary carcinoma. The patients were divided into 2 groups, patients submitted exclusively to gynecological procedures and patients submitted to non-gynecological procedures. Statistical analysis was made with the Student’s t-test or the chi-square test. RESULTS: 5 patients (6.1%) were in stage (FIGO) I, 18 (21.9%) in stage II, 40 (48.8%) in stage III, and 19 (23.2%) in stage IV. Non-gynecological procedures were done in 35 cases (42.7%), including: 17 colostomies, 16 enterectomies, 8 peritonectomies, 7 colectomies, 5 partial diaphragm resections, 4 partial cystectomies, 4 splenectomies, 2 ileostomies, and 1 hepatectomy. All patients submitted to non-gynecological procedures were included in stages III and IV. This group of patients underwent longer-lasting surgeries (5.3 ± 1.4 versus 3.1 + 0,0 h; p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between these two groups regarding hemotransfusion requirement (42,2 versus 40%; p = 0.512) and hospitalization time (11.5 ± 7.2 versus 10 ± 9.9 days; p = 0.454). Patients submitted to non-gynecological surgeries developed higher rates of postoperative complications (37 versus 17.1%; p = 0.042), and two of them (2.4%) died. CONCLUSION: non-gynecological surgical procedures are frequently used in the treatment of patients with ovarian cancer. These procedures are associated with a longer-lasting surgery and higher rates of postoperative complications.