What’s an Omentectomy and When Is It Needed?
An omentectomy is the surgical removing of the omentum, a big layer of tissue that surrounds the stomach organs. This surgical procedure is most frequently wanted for ovarian most cancers however could also be obligatory for another kinds of most cancers, too.
An omentectomy helps to stage and deal with ovarian most cancers, which continuously spreads to your omentum. Other cancers which will unfold to your omentum embody abdomen, uterine, and colorectal cancers.
This article takes a better have a look at an omentectomy, when it’s wanted, and what to anticipate when you have this remedy.
What is an omentectomy?
What is an omentectomy?
An omentectomy is a surgical process by which a surgeon removes all or a part of your omentum. Your omentum is a layer of fatty tissue that surrounds your abdomen, intestines, and different stomach organs. It has two elements:
The better omentum (supracolic): This spans the width of your stomach. It stretches from the curve of your abdomen to your transverse colon (the lengthy horizontal phase of your colon).
The lesser omentum (infracolic): This extends out of your liver, beneath your transverse colon and abdomen.
Researchers don’t absolutely perceive all of the capabilities of your omentum. It’s thought to have a job in immune response, resembling controlling irritation and an infection. It additionally shops fats and acts as a protecting layer in your stomach organs.
If you could have ovarian most cancers, there are a number of causes a physician would possibly suggest this process. For occasion, It could:
assist decide the stage of your most cancers and whole remedy plan for you
forestall ovarian most cancers from reaching your omentum
take away ovarian most cancers that has already invaded your omentum
Most of the time, an omentectomy isn’t a stand-alone process. It’s a part of cytoreductive surgical procedure, also referred to as debulking surgical procedure. The objective of debulking is to take away as many most cancers websites as doable out of your stomach cavity. For ovarian most cancers, this will likely embody:
Oophorectomy: This is the removing of 1 or each of your ovaries.
Salpingectomy: This is the removing of 1 or each of your fallopian tubes.
Hysterectomy: This is the removing of your uterus.
Lymph node dissection: This process is used to get samples for biopsy to see if the most cancers has unfold to close by lymph nodes.
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When is an omentectomy wanted?
When is an omentectomy wanted?
In ovarian most cancers, the omentum is without doubt one of the most typical websites of metastasis. Approximately 55% of the time, ovarian most cancers is already metastatic — it has unfold from the unique web site to a distant a part of the physique — on the time you obtain the prognosis.
Epithelial ovarian most cancers is a selected sort that begins within the outer floor of your ovaries and tends to unfold to your omentum. About 85–90% of ovarian cancers are epithelial.
If you could have epithelial ovarian most cancers, the surgeon could need to carry out an omentectomy to see how far the most cancers could have unfold. Staging the most cancers helps your oncologist decide the subsequent steps in remedy.
Other causes an omentectomy could also be wanted:
as one a part of a debulking process
to take away most cancers that’s already reached your omentum
to delay tumor development
to enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation remedy
to take care of your high quality of life and delay survival
This process may also assist deal with different cancers which have unfold to your omentum, resembling:
endometrial and uterine most cancers
abdomen (gastric) most cancers
colorectal most cancers
peritoneal mesothelioma, which develops within the tissue that traces your stomach
What does an omentectomy contain?
What does an omentectomy contain?
An omentectomy and associated procedures can take a number of hours beneath common anesthesia. Your medical staff will need to be sure you’re wholesome sufficient for the process. That means you’ll want some pre-op testing, together with exams to measure your coronary heart and lung perform.
There are a number of methods to carry out this surgical procedure. Your surgeon could select minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic-assisted surgical procedure. But should you’ve having a number of procedures, it’s extra seemingly you’ll have conventional open stomach surgical procedure.
Although there could also be some variations in how an omentectomy is finished, you’ll be able to sometimes anticipate the next when you have open stomach surgical procedure:
You’ll get an intravenous (IV) line in your arm for fluids and drugs shortly earlier than you’re taken to the working room.
In the working room, you’ll be given common anesthetic. An anesthesiologist will monitor your very important indicators all through the process.
The surgical staff will sterilize the surgical web site, and the surgeon will then make a protracted incision throughout your stomach.
All or a part of your omentum might be eliminated.
The surgeon will carry out associated procedures, such eradicating your ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus.
The surgeon may additionally carry out peritoneal washing to see if there’s most cancers in your peritoneal cavity — the a part of your stomach that holds your abdomen, liver, and intestines. The surgeon will bathe the cavity with saline answer, then gather the fluid to check for most cancers cells.
The surgical staff will shut the incision.
If you’re having laparoscopic surgical procedure, the surgeon will make a number of smaller incisions, every a few half-inch extensive. Remaining exterior your stomach, the surgeon will insert a tiny digital camera and lengthy surgical devices to finish this process.
Recovery
Recovery is completely different for everybody. You can anticipate to spend at the least 2–4 days within the hospital. Total restoration time may very well be anyplace from 4–8 weeks, relying on what number of different procedures you could have on the similar time. Your age and general well being may also play a job in your restoration.
Your omentum doesn’t have an effect on regular physique capabilities. You can reside with out one.
But associated procedures, resembling removing of your ovaries, may end up in extra short- and long-term negative effects. Your oncology staff will let you already know what to anticipate when recovering from a number of procedures.
After surgical procedure, you might want extra remedies, such a chemotherapy or radiation remedy.
What are the advantages and dangers of an omentectomy?
What are the advantages and dangers of an omentectomy?
The essential advantage of an omentectomy is to take away cancerous tumors earlier than they will unfold elsewhere. Other potential advantages embody:
staging the most cancers and figuring out which remedies are most probably to be efficient
serving to to make systemic remedies, like chemotherapy, more practical
bettering high quality of life and survival time
As with any surgical procedure, there are some potential dangers and negative effects, resembling:
negative effects of anesthetic, resembling nausea and dry mouth
allergic response to anesthetic
threat of an infection, bleeding, nerve injury, or harm to your close by organs
stomach tenderness, discomfort, and ache
fluid retention
lymphedema
small bowel obstruction as a result of formation of adhesions (scar tissue)
The backside line
The backside line
An omentectomy is the surgical removing of your omentum, a big layer of tissue that surrounds your stomach organs. When ovarian most cancers spreads, it usually travels to your omentum.
An omentectomy can assist stage or deal with ovarian most cancers. It is usually a stand-alone surgical procedure. But extra usually, it additionally contains the removing of different organs, resembling your ovaries or uterus, as a part of a debulking surgical procedure. In most instances, you’ll nonetheless want chemotherapy or radiation remedy.
Although researchers don’t perceive all of the capabilities of your omentum, you’ll be able to reside a traditional life with out one. A physician can assessment the potential advantages and dangers of this surgical procedure, so that you’ll have a greater concept what to anticipate.
