POSTOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH PELVIC EXENTERATION IN WOMEN WITH GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW^*

HIGHLIGHTS

1. Pelvic Exenteration (PE) is a complex oncological surgery.

2. PE must be performed by means of well-established criteria.

3. Advanced-stage gynecological tumors can be approached via PE.

4. Infection stands out among the complications associated with PE.

ABSTRACT

Objective:

to identify the main complications arising from the pelvic exenteration surgery in gynecological cancer and the in-hospital death outcome after the surgical procedure.

Method:

an integrative literature review considering 23 articles published from 2012 to 2020 in the LILACS and IBECS databases. The descriptors used were the following: genital cancer, gynecological cancer, pelvic exenteration, exenteration, postoperative complications, surgical complications and death, combined by means of the AND or OR Boolean connectors.

Results:

surgical applicability was verified for cervical, uterine, ovarian, vaginal and vulvar cancer; age was associated with comorbidities (diabetes and hypertension); total pelvic exenteration was predominant; and there were high mean surgical and hospitalization times due to infections.

Contributions

to the area: this research enables improvements in the health care provided in the PE pre-, peri- and post-operative periods, as it elucidates the main problems resulting from this surgery, their stratifications and management options.

DESCRIPTORS:
Neoplasms in the Female Genitals; Pelvic Exenteration; Postoperative Complications; Oncology; Comorbidity