Ovarian tumour debulking

• Ovarian tumour debulking is a form of treatment for ovarian   cancer. It involves removal of both ovaries, the uterus, cervix   and omentum (fatty tissue overlying the bowel).

• The operation is performed under a general anaesthetic and   may take several hours.

• Occasionally, a small portion of bowel affected by the cancer   may need to be removed. This may result in a temporary (and   rarely a permanent) stoma. A stoma is where the bowel   opens
  directly onto the abdominal skin and faeces are   collected in a   bag attached to the abdominal wall.

• During the operation, a catheter is passed up the urethra into   the bladder to drain off the urine. A plastic tube may be   inserted into the wound to remove any slight bleeding. These   tubes will be left in place for up to 72 hours.

• There will be some discomfort following surgery which will
  be  controlled with pain killers

• The average hospital stay is 14 days. The time taken to
  make a full recovery varies and depends on many factors.

• Following surgery, chemotherapy may be necessary.