Clinical Outcomes Associated with Surgical Site Infection in Epithelial Ovarian, Fallopian, and Peritoneal Cancer Patients Undergoing Cytoreductive Surgery

Abstract

The most common cause of postoperative morbidity is surgical site infection (SSI). Because certain SSIs can be avoided, risk factors should be assessed prior to surgery, and modifiable ones should be addressed. SSI occurs in approximately 6%-20% of women undergoing surgical cytoreduction for epithelial ovarian/fallopian/peritoneal cancer (EOFPC). This high rate is due to the highly complex nature of cytoreductive surgery and the risk of contamination with ascending microorganisms in vaginal, cervical and gastrointestinal operative sites. Accumulated evidence showed that SSI worsens survival by delaying the initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy. As a result, SSI should be avoided as much as possible, and gynecologic surgical teams should be aware of how to prevent it. This review examines the prevalence, risk factors, clinical significance, and likelihood of SSI following cytoreductive surgery for EOFPC.