Radical hysterectomy is used to treat some cases of cancer of
the cervix. It involves removal of the uterus, Fallopian tubes,
cervix, upper vagina, pelvic lymph glands and, occasionally, the
ovaries. The vagina is stitched over at the top and shortened.
The operation is performed under a general anaesthetic and takes
2-3 hours.
During the operation, a catheter is passed up the urethra into
the bladder to drain off the urine. A plastic tube may be
inserted into the wound to remove any slight bleeding and
fluid from the lymph glands. These tubes will be left in place
for 24-48 hours.
There will be some discomfort following surgery which
will be controlled with pain killers, and hormone
replacement therapy (HRT) may be prescribed if the ovaries are
removed.
The average hospital stay is 7-10 days. The time taken to make a
full recovery varies and depends on many factors.
Following surgery, a course of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
may be necessary.
Ovarian tumour debulking is a form of treatment for ovarian
cancer. It involves removal of both ovaries, the uterus, cervix
and omentum (fatty tissue overlying the bowel).
The operation is performed under a general anaesthetic and may
take several hours.
Occasionally, a small portion of bowel affected by the cancer
may need to be removed. This may result in a temporary (and
rarely a permanent) stoma. A stoma is where the bowel
opens directly onto the abdominal skin and faeces are
collected in a bag attached to the abdominal wall.
During the operation, a catheter is passed up the urethra into
the bladder to drain off the urine. A plastic tube may be
inserted into the wound to remove any slight bleeding. These
tubes will be left in place for up to 72 hours.
There will be some discomfort following surgery which
will be controlled with pain killers.
The average hospital stay is 7 days. The time taken to make
a full recovery varies and depends on many factors.
Prio to or following surgery, chemotherapy may be
necessary.
A vulvectomy is used to treat skin conditions of the
vulva only when other methods, such as creams,
medicines and laser therapy, have failed. It involves
removal of the vulva only. The urethra and vagina are left
intact.
A vestibulectomy is used to treat pain at the entrance
to the vagina and is carried out only when other
treatments have failed, it involves removal of the tissue
at the entrance to the vagina.
A partial vestibulectomy, which involves removal of
only some of the tissue at the entrance to the vagina, may
be used in conjunction with corticosteroid cream to treat
a skin condition called lichen sclerosis.
These operations are performed under a general anaesthetic
and take 1-2 hours.
In both operations, a catheter may be passed up the urethra
into the bladder to drain off the urine. A plastic tube may also
be inserted into the wound to remove any slight bleeding. These
tubes will be left in place for up to 72 hours.
There will be some discomfort following surgery which
will be controlled with pain killers.
The average hospital stay is 10-14 days and
normal activities can usually be resumed within 6-8
weeks.
Radical vulvectomy is used to treat cancer of the vulva. It
involves removal of the vulva and the lymph glands in the groin.
The urethra and vagina remain intact. Occasionally, skin
grafting may be necessary to repair the wound.
If the cancer has not spread to the sides of the vulva, around
the clitoris, or between the vagina and anus, a simpler
procedure can be carried out. This involves removal of only the
skin around the cancer and the lymph glands in the groin.
The operation is performed under a general anaesthetic and takes
2-3 hours.
During the operation, a catheter is inserted into the
bladder to drain off the urine. This may be brought out
through the abdomen rather than the urethra to prevent
irritation of the stitches. Two plastic tubes are also inserted
to drain the fluid from the lymph glands. These tubes will be
left in place for up to 72 hours.
There will be some discomfort following surgery which
will be controlled with pain killers.
The average hospital stay is 2-3 weeks and normal activities can
usually be resumed within 8-12 weeks.
