Lower urinary tract resection as part of cytoreductive surgery for ovarian cancer

Twenty-four patients underwent lower urinary tract resection as part of cytoreductive surgery for ovarian epithelial malignancy from 1960 to 1979. Eight patients had partial cystectomies, two of which had reimplantation of the ureters, and 16 had partial ureteral resection. Optimal cytoreduction was associated with a longer mean survival. Patients who presented without ureteral obstruction also survived significantly longer than those with obstruction. Morbidity from surgery involving the urinary tract was not excessive in this series. Partial lower urinary tract resection appears justified as part of a primary cytoreductive effort.