Incidence and predictors of febrile morbidity after radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for early stage cervical cancer patients

This study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence and independent predictors for febrile morbidity after radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. Patients with FIGO stage IB-IIA cervical cancers who had undergone RHPL at Chiang Mai University Hospital between January 2003 and December 2005, were reviewed. The clinical variables including the age at diagnosis, menopausal status, body mass index, previous cervical conization, tumor size, preoperative chemotherapy, preoperative anemia, operative time, and estimated blood loss were analyzed for prediction of postoperative febrile morbidity. During the study period, 357 women were reviewed. The mean age was 44.7 years. Sixty-five (18.2%) women were postmenopausal. The majority of women (77.3%) were in FIGO stage IB1. The most common histology was squamous cell carcinoma (69.2%). Febrile morbidity was noted in 94 women (26.3%, 95% CI= 21.8-31.2) in whom 25 (7.0%) had urinary tract infection (19), abdominal wound infection (4), and vaginal cuff infection (2), respectively. Only massive blood loss (>1,500 ml) was noted as the significantly independent predictor for febrile morbidity (aOR= 2.7, 95% CI=1.1-6.6, P=0.028). In conclusion, approximately one-fourth of the women undergoing RHPL at our institute had postoperative febrile morbidity. Only massive blood loss is a significant predictor for this complication.