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ObjectivesThis retrospective, multicentric study investigates quality-of-life issues and emotional distress in gynecological cancer survivors submitted to pelvic exenteration (PE).MethodsThe Global Health Status scale of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30; the EORTC QLQ-CX24 (CX24), and EORTC QLQ-OV28 questionnaires were administered at least 12 months from surgery only in women with no evidence of further recurrence after PE. Statistical analysis was performed by the analysis of variance (for repeated measures.ResultsNinety-six subjects affected by gynecological malignancies receiving PE were enrolled in the study. Anterior PE was performed in 47 patients (49%), posterior PE was performed in 29 cases (30.2%), and total PE performed in 20 women (20.8%). In 38 cases (39.6%), a definitive colostomy was performed. Urinary diversion with continent pouch was created in 11 patients. (11.5%), whereas in the remaining cases, a noncontinent pouch was reconstructed. Patients showed a significant discomfort in attitude to disease (71.5 ± 4.7), body image (48.9 ± 6.4), financial difficulties (56.2 ± 5.8), gastrointestinal symptoms (constipation, 47.8 ± 5.1; diarrhea, 62.4 ± 6.6; appetite loss, 43.6 ± 6.7), insomnia (64.5 ± 6.6), Global Health Status (64.6 ± 3.8), physical functioning (65.8 ± 4.6), role functioning (58.8 ± 5.8), and emotional functioning (67.4 ± 4.2). A higher number of ostomies (hazard rate [HR], 7.613; P = 0.012), the creation of a noncontinent bladder (HR, 8.230; P = 0.009), and of definitive colostomy (HR, 8.516; P = 0.008) emerged as independent predictors of poorer Global Health Status scores. Older age (HR, 11.235; P = 0.003), vaginal/vulvar cancer (HR, 7.369; P = 0.013), total/posterior PE (HR, 7.393; P = 0.013), higher number of ostomies (HR, 7.613; P = 0.012), the creation of a noncontinent bladder (HR, 8.230; P = 0.009), and of definitive colostomy (HR, 8.516; P = 0.008) emerged as independent predictors of lower body image levels.ConclusionsLong-term psycho-oncological support is strongly recommended. The reduction of ostomies seems the most effective way to improve patients’ quality of life.

Hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis after total pelvic exenteration (TPE) is relatively rare. Urinary diversion of the ileal conduit during TPE can result in increased urine reabsorption leading to hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. We developed a new technique for the retrograde catheterization of a ureteral stent into an ileal conduit to treat hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. A 70-year-old man underwent TPE for locally recurrent rectal cancer. Multiple episodes of complications, such as hyperchloremia and metabolic acidosis, occurred. Effective drainage of urine from the ileal conduit is crucial. With collaboration between an endoscopist and a radiologist, we developed a novel method for retrograde catheterization of the ureteral stent into an ileal conduit for hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis after TPE. The patient's condition quickly improved after the procedure. Our novel technique of retrograde catheterization of a ureteral stent into an ileal conduit for hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis could be adopted worldwide, as it is effective and safe.

Introduction Total pelvic exenteration (TPE) for clinical T4b colorectal cancer (CRC) is associated with significant morbidity. Short (0-30 days)- and intermediate (31-90 days)-term temporal analysis of complication onset is not well described, yet needed, to better counsel patients considering TPE. Methods A retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with primary or recurrent clinical T4b pelvic CRC undergoing open TPE between 2014 and 2023 was conducted. Clinicopathologic variables were collected for each patient. Postoperative morbidity was classified according to the Clavien-Dindo (CD) grade system and stratified by time of onset within 90 days of surgery. Pearson’s Chi-square test, Fisher’s Exact test, and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare primary vs recurrent patient groups, and logistic regression assessed predictors of postoperative morbidity. Statistical analysis was performed using R with two-sided significance set at <0.05. Results Twenty-seven patients were identified of which 24 (88.9%) were male with a median age of 60.4 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 56.3-70.5). Seventeen (63.0%) patients had primary disease and 10 (37.0%) had recurrent CRC. Twenty-three (85.2%) patients experienced at least one complication within 90 days of surgery, but no mortality was observed. Ten (37.0%) patients experienced a CD ≥ 3 event, of which 40% took place beyond 30 days. The most common complication overall was anemia requiring transfusion, while the most common major complication was pelvic abscess. No clinicopathologic variables analyzed were predictive of major postoperative complication within 90 days of TPE. Conclusion TPE for clinical T4b CRC carries a high risk of postoperative morbidity in both the short- and intermediate-term after surgery, with a significant proportion of complications occurring after 30 days. Given the magnitude of operation, an extended recovery with high risk for complications is common. Although a single-center series, this annotated postoperative complication profile may assist patients and clinicians when reviewing informed consent for TPE.

Background Total pelvic exenteration (TPE), an en bloc resection is an ultraradical operation for malignancies, and refers to the removal of organs inside the pelvis, including female reproductive organs, lower urological organs and involved parts of the digestive system. The aim of this meta-analysis is to estimate the intra-operative mortality, in-hospital mortality, 30- and 90-day mortality rate and overall mortality rate (MR) following TPE in colorectal, gynecological, urological, and miscellaneous cancers. Methods This is a systematic review and meta-analysis in which three international databases including Medline through PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science on November 2023 were searched. To screen and select relevant studies, retrieved articles were entered into Endnote software. The required information was extracted from the full text of the retrieved articles by the authors. Effect measures in this study was the intra-operative, in-hospital, and 90-day and overall MR following TPE. All analyzes are performed using Stata software version 16 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX). Results In this systematic review, 1751 primary studies retrieved, of which 98 articles (5343 cases) entered into this systematic review. The overall mortality rate was 30.57% in colorectal cancers, 25.5% in gynecological cancers and 12.42% in Miscellaneous. The highest rate of mortality is related to the overall mortality rate of colorectal cancers. The MR in open surgeries was higher than in minimally invasive surgeries, and also in primary advanced cancers, it was higher than in recurrent cancers. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be said that performing TPE in a specialized surgical center with careful patient eligibility evaluation is a viable option for advanced malignancies of the pelvic organs.

Purpose Pelvic exenteration (PE) is a complex surgical procedure used to treat patients with recurrent or locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) as a final recourse. Thus, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has emerged as an alternative to the traditional open PE as it may reduce surgical trauma and improve recovery. This meta-analysis compared the clinical outcomes between MIS and open PE in patients with LARC. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA and AMSTAR guidelines. Six retrospective studies comprising 368 patients (179 MIS patients; 189 open patients) were included. Data on operative parameters along with short-term and long-term outcomes, including the 3-year overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), were extracted. Risk ratios (RRs) and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for binary outcomes, while standardised mean differences (SMDs) were calculated for continuous outcomes. All measures were reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using random-effects models. Results MIS was associated with significantly reduced blood loss (standardised mean difference (SMD), − 1.57; 95% CI, − 2.27 to − 0.88; p  < 0.00001), shorter hospital stays (SMD, − 6.46; 95% CI, − 12.21 to − 0.71; p  = 0.03), and quicker diet resumption (SMD: − 0.79; 95% CI, − 1.36 to − 0.21; p  = 0.008) than open PE. MIS was associated with a borderline reduction in total complications (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.20–1.00; p  = 0.05) and lower rates of abdominal wound complications (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.45; p  < 0.0001). No significant differences were observed in R0 resection rates, major complications, or mortality. For long-term outcomes, MIS demonstrated significantly improved 3-year OS (RR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.41; p  = 0.04), whereas 3-year DFS showed no significant difference (RR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.79 to 1.41; p  = 0.87). Conclusion MIS offers significant short-term advantages over open PE, including reduced blood loss, faster recovery, and fewer complications while demonstrating improved 3-year OS. These findings support MIS PE as a safe, effective, and viable option for patients with recurrent or LARC.

Background Large tissue defects following pelvic exenteration (PE) fill with fluid and small bowel, leading to the empty pelvis syndrome (EPS). EPS causes a constellation of complications including pelvic sepsis and reduced quality of life. EPS remains poorly defined and cannot be objectively measured. Pathophysiology of EPS is multifactorial, with increased pelvic dead space potentially important. This study aims to describe methodology to objectively measure volumetric changes relating to EPS. Methods The true pelvis is defined by the pelvic inlet and outlet. Within the true pelvis there is physiological pelvic dead space (PDS) between the peritoneal reflection and the inlet. This dead space is increased following PE and is defined as the exenteration pelvic dead space (EPD). EPD may be reduced with pelvic filling and the volume of filling is defined as the pelvic filling volume (PFV). PDS, EPD, and PFV were measured intraoperatively using a bladder syringe, and Archimedes’ water displacement principle. Results A patient undergoing total infralevator PE had a PDS of 50 ml. A rectus flap rendered the pelvic outlet watertight. EPD was then measured as 540 ml. Therefore there was a 10.8-fold increase in true pelvis dead space. An omentoplasty was placed into the EPD, displacing 130 ml; therefore, PFV as a percentage of EPD was 24.1%. Conclusions This is the first reported quantitative assessment of pathophysiological volumetric changes of pelvic dead space; these measurements may correlate to severity of EPS. PDS, EPD, and PFV should be amendable to assessment based on perioperative cross-sectional imaging, allowing for potential prediction of EPS-related outcomes.

Objective We examined post-traumatic reactions and quality of life in women with recurrent gynecologic cancer who underwent a pelvic exenteration (PE), a potentially life-saving radical surgery associated with life-altering sequelae. Methods Twenty-one women who had completed PE at least 6 months prior completed the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, a measure of post-traumatic stress, the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, a measure of post-traumatic growth, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer 30-item core Quality of Life Questionnaire. We examined the associations between these outcome variables, and quality of life scores were compared to normative values for the general and gynecologic cancer populations. Results Thirty percent of women reported clinically significant post-traumatic stress symptoms and 71% endorsed clinically significant depressive symptoms. More post-traumatic stress was associated with less post-traumatic growth, more depressive symptoms, and worse quality of life. In general, women’s quality of life was worse than the general population but comparable to women with stage III–IV ovarian cancer and women with cervical cancer. Social functioning was markedly lower in our sample and women reported more pain, diarrhea, and financial difficulties post-PE compared to published norms for the general population and women with ovarian or cervical cancer. There were no differences in quality of life based on age, type of PE, type of urinary diversion, or cancer type. Conclusions Findings support long-term continued symptom management and the ongoing rehabilitation of patients to optimize physical, psychological, and social well-being in PE survivorship.

Background Pelvic exenteration (PE) offers a potential cure for selected patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer (LARC) or Locally Recurrent Rectal Cancer (LRRC) invading adjacent pelvic organs. Despite advances in surgical technique and perioperative care, PE remains associated with significant morbidity. This study evaluates long-term oncologic outcomes of PE over 20 years at a high-volume tertiary cancer center in India. Methods We retrospectively analysed 97 patients who underwent PE between January 2000 and December 2020. Patients included those with LARC or LRRC, where R0 resection was deemed feasible. Surgical procedures were classified as total pelvic exenteration (TPE) or modified pelvic exenteration (MPE). Data on demographics, operative parameters, pathological features, recurrence pattern and survival were analysed. Results Among the 97 patients (median age 59; 80.4% male), 67% had LARC and 33% LRRC. R0 resection was achieved in 71.1%. TPE was more common in LRRC, while MPE predominated in LARC ( p  = 0.014). Common complications included pelvic collection (25.8%) and wound infection (15.5%). The 5-year OS was higher in R0 resection patients (51.9% vs. 12.9%; p  = 0.013) and those with LARC vs. LRRC (57.0% vs. 10.6%; p  = 0.032). LRRC had higher recurrences post R0 resection. In the multivariate analysis, the only independent predictors of OS were the initial presentation of the disease and R0 resection. Conclusion PE remains a curative strategy for LARC and LRRC following an R0 resection. LRRC is associated with higher recurrence and poorer survival. Optimal outcomes require multidisciplinary evaluation, margin-negative resection, and tailored surgical approaches. This study provides data from a low- and middle-income country setting, where such literature remains limited.

PurposeCompliance with oral nutrition support (ONS) is poorly reported in the literature. Many factors influence compliance, which could mask the true benefits of preoperative ONS. Surgical oncology patients, including pelvic exenteration patients, are often requested by healthcare workers to consume nutrition supplements before surgery. Exploration of barriers and enablers to compliance with nutrition supplements is needed to improve patient compliance and understand the real impact of preoperative ONS.MethodA qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was performed to investigate enablers and barriers to preoperative nutrition supplement compliance. Twenty participants who had been asked to consume 15 nutrition supplements, either immunonutrition or standard polymeric supplements, were interviewed. Inductive thematic analysis was used to determine major themes associated with compliance.ResultsTwelve out of 20 participants were not compliant with recommended dosing. Well-nourished participants were more compliant than malnourished participants. Major themes associated with compliance were flavour, volume, texture, impact on dietary intake and motivation to consume supplements. Flavour differed between the two groups, negatively impacting compliance in the immunonutrition group. Volume, texture and impact on dietary intake also negatively impacted compliance whereas motivation positively impacted compliance.ConclusionTo overcome barriers and enforce enablers with nutrition supplement compliance, it is essential healthcare workers implement individualised interventions, taking into account nutritional status. A range of flavours, minimal volume and low viscosity supplements should be provided to address individual preference and minimise poor compliance. Better-targeted education and regular motivation are needed to improve compliance.

Pelvic exenteration for recurrent gynecological malignancies is characterized by a high rate of severe complications. Factors predictive of morbidity, readmission, and cost were analyzed. Data of consecutive patients undergoing pelvic exenteration between January 2007 and December 2016 were prospectively evaluated. Fifty-eight patients were included in the analysis. Anterior, posterior, and total exenterations were executed in 39 (67%), 9 (16%), and 10 (17%) patients, respectively. Ten (15.5%) severe complications occurred: 8 (20.5%), 0 (0%), and 1 (10%) after anterior, posterior, and total exenterations, respectively. Radiotherapy dosage, time between radiotherapy and surgery, and previous administration of chemotherapy did not influence 90-day complications and readmission. At multivariable analysis, albumin levels less than 3.5 g/dL (odds ratio, 16.2 [95% confidence interval, 2.85-92.8]; P = 0.002) and history of deep vein thrombosis (odds ratio, 9.6 [95% confidence interval, 0.93-98.2]; P = 0.057) were associated with 90-day morbidity. Low albumin levels independently correlated with readmission (P = 0.011). The occurrence of 90-day postoperative complications and readmission increased costs of a median of +12,500 and +6000 euros, respectively (P < 0.05). Preoperative patient selection is a key point for the reduction of postoperative complications after pelvic exenteration. Further prospective studies are warranted to improve patient selection.