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Cervical Cancer Surgery Introduction and Costs

Last updated: 04/08/2009

An Introduction to Cervical Cancer Surgery

Cancers that invade the cervix and related structures such as the uterus and vagina present one major issue for many women who receive such a diagnosis: can fertility be preserved? In the earlier stages of cervical cancer, there are surgical options that allow reproductive structures to stay intact. Cone biopsies, loop electrosurgical excision procedures (LEEP), radial trachelectomies, and pelvic lymph node dissection keep the possibility of having children open. But, if cervical cancer is caught too late, the latter stages call for more drastic surgical procedures that remove the entire uterus and eliminate future childbearing. In certain cases, even the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and a portion of the vagina might be excised in order to increase the chances of survival.

Costs of Cervical Cancer Surgery

Hysterectomies are the most common method of addressing cervical cancer. They involve removal of the entire uterus and cervix, though the exact method of doing so varies. The procedure might happen through incisions in the abdomen, through the vagina, or with the help of laparoscopic devices. There is also a variation called a radical hysterectomy which, true to its name, goes the extra step of removing the fallopian tubes, part of the vagina, ovaries, and even lymph nodes. Hysterectomies are major surgeries that require full use of an operating room, anesthesiologist, surgeon, hospital facilities, and hospital staff. Thus, according to a report submitted to The National Women’s Health Resource Center, the average cost of a hysterectomy was $5,145 in 2007. Because of the extent of the female reproductive system that a hysterectomy removes, however, chances of cancer recurrence are low.

Loop electrosurgical excision procedures (LEEP) are reserved for earlier stages of cervical cancer. When a tumor is confined to a relatively small area of the cervix, surgeons can use a thin electrified wire to cut away cancer cells. As a less involved procedure, LEEP surgeries cost less than the standard hysterectomy.

Cone biopsies involve removing a small, cone-shaped wedge of the cervix. Because this procedure is performed under local rather than general anesthesia, the costs are markedly reduced in comparison to many other surgical treatments for cervical cancer.

Additional Costs of Cervical Cancer Surgery

Other fees are often necessary components of undergoing surgery for cervical cancer. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be mixed into the treatment plan either before or after a patient undergoes surgery. By weakening cancer cells, these alternate methods can inhibit the growth of a tumor and keep it under check until the date of the operation; afterwards, they may be used to remove the last vestigial traces of cancer cells.

Factor in the potential for recovery time after undergoing cervical cancer surgery. The healing process is simplified for less invasive operations, but for women with recent hysterectomies, there are a number of days you’ll need to stay in the hospital under supervision. Even after leaving medical facilities, there will be a period of recuperation before you can return to your job and normal duties. For an open hysterectomy, for example, this recovery time is estimated to be a few weeks.

Last Updated: 04/08/2009

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