Hysterectomy for Endometrial Cancer
Patient Information sheet
Women with endometrial cancer need an operation to remove their womb (uterus and cervix),
fallopian tubes and ovaries. This procedure is known as a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral
salpingo-oophorectomy. Sometimes it is also necessary to remove other tissues as well. This can
include the omentum (a layer of fatty tissue in the abdomen), this is known as omentectomy. Lymph
glands in the pelvis and around the aorta may also be removed. The operation is carried out under
general anaesthetic, usually through a vertical (midline) or transverse (bikini-line) incision.
Sometimes, this operation is performed using keyhole surgery (laparoscopy).
The aim of surgery is to remove all of the disease, diagnose spread and identify if there is any disease
left at completion of surgery.
Alternative procedures:
The main alternative is to decide not to have surgery. Other alternative treatments may include
hormone treatment and or radiotherapy. Your doctor will discuss the best treatment options for you.
Staging of Endometrial Cancer
Histology (microscopic examination) determines the stage of the disease. If the histology result
(tissue analysis) confirms that all the cancer has been removed, that it was not found deep within the
wall of the womb and that lymph nodes (if removed) do not contain cancer, no further treatment will
be necessary.
If however the histology results indicate that you need further treatment, you may need
radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.
Risks:
There are risks and complications associated with any major abdominal surgery. It is important to
realise that these risks and complications are rare. These will be discussed with you before your
operation.
Page 1 of 4
The operation is carried out under general anaesthetic and the anaesthetist will visit you before your
operation and discuss the anaesthetic with you. You will have some blood loss at the time of your
operation and blood transfusion is sometimes required in about one in five operations. Rarely, there
may be internal bleeding after the operation, making a second operation necessary.
As with any major operation involving the pelvic organs there is a small risk of injury to bladder or
ureter (tube which carries urine to the bladder), this is about three in 100, or injury to bowel one in
100. If this occurs the injury will be repaired at the time of surgery.
Also there is a small risk of developing an infection which may be in the chest (three in 100) wound
(five in 100), pelvis (four in 100) or urine (10 in 100). To reduce this risk you will be given an antibiotic
just before the start of the operation.
Patients may suffer from blood clots in the leg or the pelvis, rarely this can lead to a blood clot in the
lungs. Moving around as soon as possible after your operation can help prevent this. The
physiotherapist will visit you before and after your operation to give advice and to help with your
mobility. To reduce the risk of blood clots you will also be given injections to thin your blood during
your stay in hospital. With any type of operation there is an associated very small risk of death.
Some women have loss of feeling in the bladder that may take some time to return to normal.
During this time, you need to take special care to empty your bladder regularly.
Rarely, a hole may develop in the bladder or in the ureter (tube carrying urine to the bladder). If this
happens it is generally identified at the time of surgery. If not, it results in leakage of urine into the
vagina. The hole may close without surgery, but another operation may be necessary to repair this.
For women who need their lymph nodes removing, there is a small risk of swelling in the legs or
lower abdomen (Lymphoedema).
If the pelvic lymph nodes are removed during the operation, the lymphatic system may be affected,
resulting in a build up of fluid in one or both legs, or in the genital area. The problem can be treated,
but you can take preventative measures to reduce the risk of this happening. The nurses or doctor
will discuss this with you.
Pain control after surgery
You may be offered an epidural to relieve pain after surgery; an epidural is a type of anaesthetic. It
does not make you unconscious, but it stops any sensation in the lower body. This means you don’t
have any feeling in your abdomen (stomach), pelvis and legs.
You will also be given painkillers to relieve the pain after the operation; this usually starts after
stopping the epidural. You may also have a PCA (Patient Controlled Analgesia) device where you
control the amount of pain killer according to your needs.
Page 2 of 4
Recovery
You may be in hospital for up to eight days; this will depend on your individual needs. It may be
recommended that you receive chemotherapy and or radiotherapy following your surgery. Your
consultant will discuss this once the final results are available.
It can take up to three months to fully recover from your operation, sometimes longer. The ward staff
will give you further information about your recovery prior to discharge from the ward.
Follow up
You will be given follow up appointment before you leave the hospital
Hormone Replacement Therapy
If you have not already experienced the menopause you will have a premature menopause when
both of your ovaries are removed during the operation. If this is the case, you may need Hormone
replacement therapy (HRT). Your consultant or specialist nurse will discuss the options with you.
There are alternative ways of managing menopausal symptoms; you can contact the Gynaecological
Cancer Nurse Specialist for further advice.
USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Main Hospital Number:
(0191) 482 0000
Ward 14A:
(0191) 445 2013
Colposcopy Clinic:
(0191) 445 6178
For further information:
www.jotrust.co.uk
www.macmillan.org.uk
www.cancerbacup.co.uk
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Sheriff Hill
Gateshead
Tyne & Wear
NE9 6SX
Telephone: (0191) 482 0000
Page 3 of 4
Data Protection
Any personal information is kept confidential. There may be occasions where your information needs
to be shared with other care professionals to ensure you receive the best care possible.
In order to assist us improve the services available your information may be used for clinical audit,
research, teaching and anonymised for National NHS Reviews. Further information is available in the
leaflet Disclosure of Confidential Information IL137, via Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
website or the PALS Service.
Information Leaflet:
Version:
Title:
First Published:
Review Date:
Author:
NoIL236
3
Hysterectomy for Endometrial Cancer
August 2009
January 2016
Alison Guest/Khadra Galaal
This leaflet can be made available in other languages and
formats upon request
Page 4 of 4