Uterine Cancer Surgery

Uterine cancer is known to be invasive and risky, and if a woman is diagnosed with it the most common treatment is to attempt to surgically remove the cells from the body. The best way to do this is through hysterectomy and also removal of lymph nodes. A host of associated procedures may also be done in order to limit the spread of the cancer, and this can include pelvic washings, debulking procedures, and more.

However, uterine cancer surgery most commonly means hysterectomy. This is the removal of the uterus and the cervix. Typically done through an incision in the abdomen, it can be total or it can be what is known as a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (which includes the removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes).

Because the majority of women diagnosed with uterine cancer have gone through menopause, uterine cancer surgery tends to include both the hysterectomy and the bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy at once. If a patient is pre-menopausal, however, the uterine cancer surgery may be limited to the hysterectomy alone.

Another form of uterine cancer surgery is the “radical hysterectomy”. In this procedure the uterus as well as tissue surrounding it (parametrium and uterosacral ligaments), the vaginal tissue near the cervix, and the fallopian tubes and ovaries are all taken out. This sort of uterine cancer surgery is often also done through the abdomen, though some surgeons can do any sort of surgical removal through the vagina.

The reason for different approaches to surgery is simple – they are less invasive. For example, the use of robotic surgical tools and laparoscopy are becoming more and more common place. However, there have been some unfortunate problems arising from surgical procedures of this kind, and it is important to know about them when you are about to have surgery.

Diagnosis is Key

In the past few years several tragic news stories have appeared in which women were wrongly diagnosed with having “fibroids” or harmless but painful tumors in their reproductive organs. In some cases, women can elect to have them removed, and many opted for a device known as a morcellator to do the work. Minimally invasive, they break down a tumor and it is then suctioned away. However, it does have a tendency to release small amounts of debris into the bloodstream and body.

When a woman is having surgery and a flawed diagnosis has been done, it puts her at risk for having the uterine cancer spread throughout her body. Today, several lawsuits are being pursued because of this sort of mistake, and it would have been avoided if the physician had done further analysis and testing before making a diagnosis of fibroid.

Though someone about to have uterine cancer surgery will not be offered this type of procedure, it is important for all women at risk for fibroids and uterine cancer to understand that such mistakes do happen. If you feel your diagnosis was flawed or it led to further health problems, find a reliable attorney immediately.

However, if you are properly and fully diagnosed, and it is determined that you are dealing with uterine cancer, take action immediately, Getting those mutated cells out of your body and away from healthy tissue is one of the best steps to take. Typical surgical remedies strive to do just that. The sooner you are diagnosed and treated, the better your prognosis. Surgery for the removal of lymph nodes may also be advised, as well as more in-depth testing such as pelvic washing and biopsies. The good news is that treatments are available, studies are underway to identify the causes of this condition, and you do have options.

Source

Cancer.org. Surgery for endometrial cancer. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/endometrialcancer/detailedguide/endometrial-uterine-cancer-treating-surgery