Risk factors for evisceration in gynecological oncology surgeries

Background/aim To investigate the risk factors for evisceration in a gynecological-oncology population. The secondary aim was to evaluate the impact of evisceration on survival. Materials and methods Inclusion criteria were having had an elective surgery performed by a xiphoidopubic incision in our institution and having a gynecological malignancy based on pathology. A total of 198 patients were evaluated, 54 with evisceration and 144 without evisceration. Due to the widely varied prognosis of female genital cancers, the survival was analyzed on a homogenized group, including only 62 patients with primary advanced stage epithelial ovarian-tubal-peritoneal cancer. Results The preoperative factors associated with evisceration in the univariate analysis were old age, high body mass index (BMI), hypertension, smoking, comorbidities, high American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) score (3 and 4), and low preoperative albumin level. The associated intraoperative factors were bleeding volume, receiving more than two units of erythrocyte suspension or fresh frozen plasma, and having had a major operation. The associated postoperative factors were the albumin transfusion and the antibiotic use in the early postoperative period. In the multivariate analysis, smoking, low levels of preoperative albumin, high BMIs, and high ASA scores (3 and 4) were independent prognostic factors for evisceration. Evisceration was not associated with recurrence and survival in the patients with primary advanced stage epithelial ovarian-tubal-peritoneal cancer patients. Conclusion Smoking, preoperative hypoalbuminemia, obesity, and high ASA scores (3 and 4) were the prognostic factors for evisceration. Short-term modifiable factors such as smoking cessation and improved nutritional status should be considered in elective gynecological-oncology surgeries. Evisceration had no impact on survival and recurrence in the patients with primary advanced stage epithelial ovarian-tubal-peritoneal cancer patients. Key words: Evisceration, hypoalbuminemia, obesity, smoking, survival, wound dehiscence.