Surgical staging of uterine cancer: an analysis of perioperative morbidity.

Surgical staging documented extrauterine disease in 27.9% of 168 patients with apparent early-clinical-stage uterine cancer. An analysis of operative time (78 +/- 21 min), blood loss (332 +/- 160 cc), and surgical site infection risks (4.7%) indicated little additional risk of lymphadenectomy. The long-term risk of lymphocyst (1.3%) or lymphedema (0.7%) was small. The histologic information obtained from staging was utilized to rationally guide the need for adjunctive teletherapy. The overall risk of recurrence (median follow-up, 26 months) with surgical Stage I disease was 2.6%.