This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by
Ruchi Garg, MD, Chair, Gynecologic Oncology, City of Hope Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix.
This page was reviewed on January 12, 2022.
A pelvic exenteration is a surgical procedure that removes gastrointestinal, gynecological and urinary organs to treat certain types of advanced and recurrent pelvic cancers.
These include:
In females, the reproductive organs removed during a pelvic exenteration are the:
In males, the prostate and seminal vesicles (a pair of glands in the male pelvic area) are removed.
Other organs that may be removed with a pelvic exenteration include the:
The type of pelvic exenteration performed depends on the cancer’s location.
A pelvic exenteration is a major operation. Your doctor and other members of your cancer care team can help you decide whether this surgery is appropriate for you.
Ahead of the procedure, there are several steps you can take to prepare for a pelvic exenteration.
A pelvic exenteration is done in two parts. The first part of the surgery focuses on the removal of certain organs. The second part focuses on the reconstruction of some of the organs that were removed.
Before the surgery, you receive anesthesia for your comfort.
Your surgeon first needs to make sure you have “clear surgical margins,” meaning the cancer hasn’t spread outside the pelvis. Your surgeon may first make small cuts into the abdomen to examine the organs and pelvic area. The surgeon may take tissue samples from certain areas beyond the pelvis to study under a microscope in the operating room. The surgery will not continue if these samples contain cancer cells, which means the cancer has spread beyond the pelvic area. In this case, your care team may recommend other treatments.
If the samples don’t have cancer cells, your surgeon can continue with the procedure.
Next, the surgeon checks whether total removal of the tumor appears possible, and if so, then the reproductive organs and other areas are excised. This part of the surgery can be performed through a minimally invasive or larger incision approach, depending on your surgeon's preferences.
After the removal, the surgeon proceeds to the reconstruction part. The areas of reconstruction are dependent upon which organs the surgeon removed. For example:
The surgery typically takes about eight to 10 hours.
The benefit of a pelvic exenteration is that it may rid the body of the cancer that was contained in the pelvis. It can also help you to feel better and improve your quality of life.
However, there are risks associated with a pelvic exenteration, just as there are with any type of surgery. These possible side effects and risks include:
Long-term side effects of a pelvic exenteration include:
Your care team may help you manage these potential side effects.
It may take up to six months to fully recover from a pelvic exenteration.
Your care team can let you know whether the surgery was successful in removing cancer from your organs.
Make sure to keep follow-up appointments with your care team to check on your progress and find out any results from the surgery. Follow-up appointments are often scheduled two to six weeks after surgery to check on your recovery.