The information on this page was reviewed and approved by
Maurie Markman, MD, President, Medicine & Science at CTCA.
This page was updated on November 5, 2020.
Whether an ovarian cancer patient is a candidate for surgery depends on several factors, including pre-existing medical conditions, nutritional status, whether the patient has undergone previous surgeries to treat the cancer, and, in the case of a recurrence, when the last cancer treatment was performed.
Surgical procedures for ovarian cancer may be performed in one of two ways: with a laparotomy, which uses an incision to open up the abdomen, or with a laparascopy, which uses small incisions in the abdomen. Your ovarian cancer surgical oncology team will discuss the recommended approach for you, which may include the following:
Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: Surgical removal of one ovary and one fallopian tube
Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: Surgical removal of both ovaries and both fallopian tubes
Total hysterectomy: Surgical removal of the uterus, including the cervix
Omentectomy: Surgical removal of part or all of the omentum, a fold of fatty tissue inside the abdomen
Bowel resection: Surgical removal of part of the small or large intestine
Diaphragm surgery: Surgical removal of part of the diaphragm
Appendix surgery: Surgical removal of the appendix
Lymph node dissection: Surgical removal of multiple lymph nodes in the abdominal cavity
HIPEC: Some patients be be candidates for hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), a highly concentrated, heated chemotherapy treatment delivered directly to the abdomen during surgery. Unlike systemic chemotherapy delivery, which circulates throughout the body via the bloodstream, HIPEC delivers chemotherapy directly to cancer cells in the abdomen. This allows for higher doses of chemotherapy treatment. Heating the solution may also improve the absorption of chemotherapy drugs by tumors and destroy microscopic cancer cells that remain in the abdomen after surgery.
If you’re concerned about your risk of ovarian cancer, you may wish to talk to your doctor about whether preventive surgery may be an option for you. You may be a candidate for preventive surgery to reduce your ovarian cancer risk if:
Preventive surgical procedures performed to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer include a tubal ligation (tying the fallopian tubes) and a hysterectomy (removing the uterus but not the ovaries).
If you want to preserve your fertility, your ovarian cancer surgical oncology team may be able to remove only the affected ovary. Patients battling more complex diseases may not be candidates for this option. At Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), we will discuss a variety of fertility-sparing procedures with you, including retrieving and freezing your eggs.
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