Radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy.

In recent years there has been an increasing awareness that radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy can play an important role in the management of early invasive cervical cancer. We present a series of 255 patients who had radical hysterectomy for gynecologic malignancy over a nine-year period. The incidence of ureteral fistulas was 0.8% and of vesical fistulas 1.6%. The operative mortality was 0.78%, which compares favorably with the rates in most larger centers in which radical pelvic operations are common. With proper patient selection and excellent operative technique, survival rates of well over 90%, with minimal complications, can be obtained.