Debulking Surgery for reducing the bulk: Procedure
Debulking surgery involves the removal of as much tissue as possible. The term debulking itself means to ‘reduce the bulk’ of the tumor. It involves removal of as much as visible tumoral growth as possible, leaving no tumor measuring more than 20mm in diameter. It increases the chances of the killing of tumor cells by chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
About the procedure:
Debulking surgery is the standard procedure for the treatment of ovarian cancer. The surgery involves an open incision. Anesthesia is given to the patient to avoid discomfort to the patient. This method is often used before the delivery of chemotherapy so that the drugs can reach the target tumor cells and act more effectively causing a better response to the treatment. The average recovery time is around 2 to 3 months for the patients to feel back to normal.
Debulking surgeries have shown to be an effective treatment option for certain cancers. They are mostly used for the treatment of carcinoma of testes and ovary, renal cell carcinoma, sarcoma, renal and other types of tumors related to endocrine. It is also called cytoreductive surgery when performed for curative intent. This type of surgery is very helpful in treating the late stages of certain cancers.
Some risks in debulking include
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Pain
- Loss of appetite
- Hair loss
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Side effects of anaesthesia on the nervous system.