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Pelvic exenteration is an extensive operation to remove cancer and affected organs from the pelvis. The organs removed depend on the cancer's location and whether the operation is anterior, posterior, or total. Surgery may involve the reproductive organs, bladder, rectum, or parts of the bowel. If the bladder or rectum is removed, the surgical team creates another way for urine or stool to leave the body.
read more about pelvic exenteration ...A cancer team may consider pelvic exenteration for selected cancers confined to the pelvis when less extensive treatment is unlikely to remove the disease. The operation may be discussed for some recurrent gynecologic or colorectal cancers. Imaging and other tests help determine the extent of cancer and whether complete removal appears possible. The team also discusses the physical demands of surgery and the changes it may cause.
Under general anesthesia, surgeons remove the cancer and the pelvic organs or tissues included in the plan. An anterior operation involves organs toward the front of the pelvis, while a posterior operation involves organs toward the back. A total operation removes affected organs in both areas. Reconstructive procedures may create a route for urine or stool and, in some cases, reconstruct the vagina.
Recovery starts in the hospital and can take months. Patients may need help managing incisions, drains, and a urinary or bowel diversion. Nurses teach stoma care when a stoma is part of the operation. Follow-up addresses healing, cancer treatment, and changes in daily and sexual function.
This major operation carries risks of bleeding, infection, blood clots, and poor wound healing. Complications can affect urinary or bowel reconstruction. Removal of pelvic organs can permanently change how a person passes urine or stool and may affect sexual function. The cancer team explains the expected changes for the specific operation before surgery.
No. The organs removed depend on whether the operation is anterior, posterior, or total and on the location of the cancer.
Some patients need a urinary or bowel stoma and an external pouch. The need for a stoma and the type of diversion depend on the organs removed and reconstruction plan.
Reconstruction may be possible for some patients when the vagina is removed. The surgical team discusses the available options before the operation.
Recovery varies with the extent of surgery and any complications. Hospital care may last days or weeks, and fuller recovery can take several months.
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About Your Total Pelvic Exenteration Surgery and Wet Colostomy. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/about-your-total-pelvic-exenteration-surgery-and-wet-colostomy. Date Accessed September 30, 2026.
Pelvic Exenteration. StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563269/?report=reader. Date Accessed September 30, 2026.
Pelvic Exenteration: What It Is & Recovery. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22455-pelvic-exenteration. Date Accessed September 30, 2026.
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