Radical hysterectomy in obese women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is a significant difference in treatment outcome and acute and chronic complications in obese compared with non-obese women having radical hysterectomy for early-stage cervical cancer. METHODS: From 1970-1985, 320 women underwent a class III radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for stage IB-IIA invasive cervical cancer at Duke University Medical Center. Forty-three of these women weighed at least 80 kg and had a body weight greater than 25% above their ideal predicted weight. These women were compared to 277 patients with normal weight for height. RESULTS: The median age, incidence of diabetes mellitus and hypertension, number of nodes removed at lymphadenectomy, disease-free survival, length of hospital stay, and serious surgical or medical complications were the same in the two groups. However, obese patients had a significantly higher estimated blood loss, greater incidence of transfusion, and longer operative times. CONCLUSIONS: Survival is not compromised and the incidence of serious complications is not increased in obese patients treated with radical hysterectomy, but the operative technique is more difficult, the procedure lasts longer, and the surgery is associated with greater blood loss.