Pelvic exenteration (PE) is one of the most drastic operations in surgical oncology, associated with severe morbidity and mortality. The objective of our study was to review our experience of PE in terms of surgical characteristics, complications, and overall survival. All patients who had PE surgery between January 1999 and December 2015 were identified. Patients with verified distant metastatic disease were excluded. Patients with advanced pelvic
tumors experiencing incapacitating postradiation severe damages were included. The following parameters were recorded: age, sex, indication for surgery,
tumor histology, type of exenteration, urinary tract and colon reconstruction methods,
operative time,
blood transfusion, intensive care unit admissions, length of
hospital stay and readmissions, and characteristics of perioperative morbidity and mortality. A total of 25 patients were submitted to PE by our surgical team. Most of the patients suffered from
cervical cancer followed by bowel
cancer. There was no perioperative mortality. Early postoperative complications ensued in 56% of the patients. Most complications involved the urinary system. Five years survival was estimated at 38%. Most patients (n = 9, 36%) died due to their primary disease, 5 (20%) died because of complications following operation, and 2 (8%) died because they denied oral feeding, which was associated with depression. Patients with a variety of
malignancies can benefit from PE. Meticulous surgical technique,
perioperative care, counseling, and
nutritional support play an important role.