Intraoperative complications of pelvic lymphadenectomy in uterine cancers

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence of intraoperative complications of pelvic lymphadenectomy in patients diagnosed with uterine cancers, namely cervical or endometrial cancer.
Materials and methods: The prospective cohort study comprised of a group of 158 patients, who underwent radical or simple hysterectomy following pelvic lymphadenectomy, depending on the cancer type and staging.
Results: The intraoperative complications occurred in 6 (3.8%) of the 158 patients. In the group of patients operated due to endometrial cancer the only hemorrhagic complications were noticed, while in the group of patients operated due to cervical cancer, the complications were related to vascular, urinary and nervous systems. The percentage of intraoperative complications was not significantly higher in patients with cervical cancer than in patients with endometrial cancer (3.92% and 3.57%, respectively). The mean number of removed lymph nodes was significantly higher in patients with cervical cancer than in patients with endometrial cancer (p < 0.0001).
Conclusions: Pelvic lymphadenectomy is a secure procedure characterized by a low percentage of intraoperative complications. The incidence of intraoperative complications of pelvic lymphadenectomy performed in patients diagnosed with uterine cancers is neither correlated with the type of cancer nor with the number of removed lymph nodes.