COMPLICATIONS OF PERIAORTIC LYMPHADENECTOMY IN GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY

We have examined 87 periaortic lymphadenectomy cases done in our department during the last five years retrospectively. Forty of these were endometrial, 17 of them were cervical and 30 were ovarian cancers. The mean age of the patients was 51.5±4.4. The mean number of lymph nodes removed was 7.53 (2-23). Five of the endometrial cancer patients (12.5%), two of the cervical cancer patients (11.8%), three of the 25 early stage ovarian cancer patients (12%) and two of the 5 second look laparotomy patients (40%) had metastases to the aortic nodes. Two cases were reoperated in the early postoperative period. The first case was an ovarian carcinoma patients who was heparinized after mitral who was aortic valve replacement surgery. She was reoperated for retroperitoneal hematoma on the following day. The second case was an endometrial cancer patient who was reoperated on the postoperative 11th day for mechanical ileus. An adhesion was found secondary to a small hematoma in the periaortic area. Besides, major blood loss (more than 100 cc.) was seen in five vena caval and one ovarian arterial injuries (total 6.9%). Overall morbidity due to periaortic lymph node dissection was found to be 9.2%.