RADICAL HYSTERECTOMY - IS OBESITY A COMORBID CONDITION

Our purpose was to evaluate and compare acute and chronic complication s in obese women after radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy performed through different abdominal incisions, From 1984 to 1994, 2 66 women underwent a class III radical hysterectomy for stage IB-IIIA invasive cervical cancer, Thirty-three of the women were considered ob ese, Wound infection was the most frequent complication in obese patie nts, These women had a significantly longer duration of hospitalizatio n and a higher fever index, No patient with a depth of subcutaneous ti ssue < 4 cm had a wound infection (p = 0.013). When the procedure was performed through a Pfannenstiel incision, there was a significantly s horter hospital stay, a lower risk of transfusion, and less blood loss , The incidence of serious complications is not increased in obese pat ients treated with radical hysterectomy, The depth of subcutaneous tis sue is the most significant risk factor associated with wound infectio n. In a selected population, a Pfannenstiel incision offers the potent ial benefit of less abdominal wall trauma without compromising surgica l exposure or increasing the risk of surgical complications.