Surgical complications in patients treated for invasive cervical cancer

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyse, retrospectively, complications of therapy of 898 patients suffered from invasive cervical carcinoma. All patients have undergone radical surgical treatment in Gynaecological Department of Medical University of Gdansk between 1972 and 2000. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were divided into four groups according to clinical examination (FIGO staging from 1985). Group Ia consisted of 27 (3%) patients; Ib consisted of 711 (79%) patients; IIa consisted of 133 (15%) patients and IIb consisted of 27 (3%) patients. 85 (9.5%) patients ware older than 60. In all cases radical abdominal hysterectomy and pelvic lymph nodes dissection was applied. RESULTS: Intraoperative complications ware observed in 66 (7.3%) patients. Among them 2 (0.2%) patients ware died, 29 (3.2%) patients had massive hemorrhage and 37 (4.1%) patients had local organs damage as bladder, rectum or ureter wall. During the postoperative period 11 (1.2%) patients ware died. There ware observed ureterovaginal fistula in 25 (2.7%) cases and vesicovaginal fistula in 9 (1.0%) cases. CONCLUSION: Radical surgical treatment of invasive cervical carcinoma performed in our department is relatively safe procedure. Results showed above are similar to the results from leading oncology centers.