Ovarian Cancer Surgery

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Most people with ovarian cancer have surgery to remove their cancer. For some early cancers, this might be the only treatment you need. Some people will have other treatments too, usually chemotherapy.

For advanced ovarian cancer, your care team will likely recommend surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible. If the tumor is too difficult to remove or you’re not well enough to have surgery as your first treatment, you have other options. Your care team may suggest trying chemotherapy first and then seeing if you can have surgery in the future.

Ovarian Cancer Care Tailored to You

You and your family are our top priority. At Fred Hutch Cancer Center, we offer comprehensive and compassionate care — personalized to you. You'll have access to the latest treatment options, clinical trials and supportive care services.

Referrals are required for new patients. Please request your primary care provider or specialist fax all relevant medical information to the fax number listed below.

Phone: 206.598.8300
Fax: 206.598.3590

How Surgery Can Treat Ovarian Cancer

The goals of ovarian cancer surgery are to confirm if cancer is present and to remove all of it or as much as possible. If your physician recommends surgery, they will explain what tissues they expect to remove and what types of decisions they may need to make once they can see inside.

Here are the kinds of procedures you might have:

  • Exploratory surgery — If your physician suspects you have ovarian cancer, they will recommend surgery so they can see the areas of concern, take out any cancer they find and help tell how far it has spread (called staging your disease). They may take lymph nodes and other tissue samples from around your abdomen and pelvis so these can be checked for cancer cells, too.
  • Salpingo-oophorectomy — This is surgery to remove an ovary and fallopian tube. If both ovaries and tubes are removed, it’s called bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy.
  • Hysterectomy — In a hysterectomy, the physician removes the entire uterus, including the cervix. This is sometimes called a total hysterectomy. If one or both ovaries and fallopian tubes are removed, it’s called total hysterectomy with salpingo-oophorectomy.
  • Omentectomy — This is surgery to take out omentum (a fatty layer of tissue) in the abdomen. Ovarian cancer sometimes spreads there.
  • Debulking — If cancer is in other places in your abdomen, your physician will remove as much of the tumor as they can. This process is called debulking. Patients have better outcomes if their physician does the most debulking possible at the time of their first surgery. This approach helps make chemotherapy more effective at destroying any cancer cells that remain after surgery.
  • Peritoneal lavage — During surgery, your physician may wash the inside of your belly (abdominal cavity) with salt water. Then they collect this fluid and send it to a lab to check it for cancer cells.
  • Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC) — This treatment is for people with ovarian cancer that has spread to the peritoneum (abdominal lining). After removing the cancer, the surgeon puts warm, liquid chemotherapy into your abdomen to kill any cancer cells that might remain.
Dr. Heidi Grey
Dr. Heidi Grey is a Fred Hutch gynecologic oncologist and division chief of Gynecologic Oncology at UW Medicine.

Why Choose Fred Hutch for Surgery for Ovarian Cancer

Studies show that outcomes are better for women whose surgery is performed by a gynecologic oncologist. As a patient at Fred Hutch, you’ll have surgery by a UW Medicine gynecologic oncologist. Your surgeon will be specially trained and board certified in gynecologic oncology. They will recommend the best procedure to match your needs. Gynecologic oncology is a unique specialty because your physician is a surgical oncologist and a medical oncologist, all in one.

Ovarian Cancer Surgery FAQ

There are two main techniques for ovarian cancer surgery.

  • Robotic/laparoscopic surgery: Done through small “keyhole” incisions. This is also called minimally invasive surgery.
  • Open surgery: Done through a longer cut (incision) in the belly.

Most of the time, ovarian cancer surgeries done through keyhole incisions mean less pain, less blood loss, lower risk of infection and a faster recovery. In some cases, open surgery is a better choice. Other times, it is simply not possible to use a minimally invasive approach — due to the size of a tumor or where it is, for example.

At your pre-operative appointment, your Fred Hutch gynecologic oncologist will talk with you about the options, what we recommend for you and why.

Learn more about minimally invasive and open surgical techniques.

Like with any surgery, you will probably have some pain after your operation. Your care team will give you pain medicines to help with this.

  • If both your ovaries are removed, you will go into menopause (if you were not already menopausal).
  • If your uterus is removed, you will not be able to become pregnant.
  • If lymph nodes are removed, there’s a risk of lymphedema (swelling) in your legs.

Your Fred Hutch care team will talk with you about common side effects and signs to watch for based on the details of your surgery. We’ll make sure you know what to expect, what to do and how to reach us if any concerns come up.