MANAGEMENT OF PELVIC FLOOR AFTER PELVIC EXENTERATION

Abstract

Exenterative operations [188] were performed from 1950-1971 for cervical cancer. Although the 5-yr-survival rate of all patients was 33%, bowel obstruction occurred in 11.6% of patients and intestinal fistula formation in 12.6%. The majority of patients with these complications had previous pelvic irradiation. The difficulty in dealing with the large raw area in the pelvis is discussed with a review of the various methods tried to date to reperitonealize the pelvis and thereby prevent adhesions or fistula formation.