Radical Hysterectomy

“Radical” hysterectomy (and the removal of Ovaries and Fallopian tubes) is a type of procedure strongly indicated for patients with cervical cancer, as well as some case of endometrial cancer. The differences from total hysterectomy (removal of the entire uterus) are as follows:

It is a much heavier and broader surgical procedure associated with a very high degree of technical difficulty;
In addition to the uterus, sections or even the entire ligaments holding the uterus fixed in the pelvis are also being removed, all the way to the lateral pelvic walls;
It is nearly always combined with surgical staging (regardless of the fact that historically cervical cancer staging is clinical and not surgical).
This surgery as well is being performed for many years now using laparoscopic or robot-assisted techniques, provided that the surgical team is properly trained and experienced.

The first ever radical hysterectomy using entirely the laparoscopic technique was performed in 1989 by the father of modern laparoscopy, Dr. Camran Nezhat, Professor of Surgery and OB/GYN at STANFORD University, USA.

The first total laparoscopic radical hysterectomy with complete lymph node dissection(aorta and pelvis) in Greece was performed by Dr. Georgios Hilaris and his team in 2004. (Please click here to see the original published paper on the first laparoscopic radical hysterectomy performed in Greece).

Since then, our team keeps on pioneering in the treatment of early-stage gynecologic malignancies using laparoscopic and robot-assisted techniques. We are consistently at the top for laparoscopic and robot-assisted gynecologic oncology procedures in Greece.

Today, numerous international scientific studies have confirmed the benefits, safety and efficacy of laparoscopy in the removal of gynecologic tumors (especially when they are detected at early stages).