Complications of radical hysterectomy in women with early stage cervical cancer: clinical analysis of 270 cases.

During a 25 year period, 270 cases of stage IB and IIA cervical cancer were subjected to radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy. The morbidity rate was 27.6% and mortality rate was 0.3%. While injuries to the great vessels were the most common intra-operative complications, the most frequent postoperative complications were in the urinary system. The leading causes of morbidity were bladder dysfunction (16.2%), urinary infection (5.9%), lymphocyst (6.4%) and wound infections (3.5%). While the overall complications seem high, the frequency of serious morbidity has diminished and radical hysterectomy now represents one of the accepted methods of treatment of cervical carcinoma, with good 5-year survival rates.