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What is a Trachelectomy?

J.A. Moles
J.A. Moles

Trachelectomy, also known as cervicectomy, is the surgical removal of the cervix, the neck of the uterus. Developed in France by Dr. Daniel Dargent in the mid-1990s as an alternative to radiation therapy and radical hysterectomy, surgery in which the entire uterus and cervix are removed, trachelectomy keeps the uterine body intact in an effort to retain fertility after healing. Generally, there are two variants: simple and radical.

Simple trachelectomy is akin to a specific type of biopsy called cervical conization. Tissue samples are removed from the mucous membrane for analysis; if pre-cancerous cells are discovered, then they can be removed by this biopsy. If the cancer has spread, radical trachelectomy may be the next resort.

Trachelectomy is a surgical procedure in which the cervix is removed.
Trachelectomy is a surgical procedure in which the cervix is removed.

Radical trachelectomy is the total removal of the cervix and adjacent tissues. Often it is accompanied by a lymphadenectomy, surgical removal of the lymph nodes via laparoscopic instruments. Its effectiveness is on par with radical hysterectomy for treating cervical cancer as long as the tumors are between two and three centimeters (.78 to 1.18 inches).

Roughly 37 percent of women who have chosen radical trachelectomy have carried full-term pregnancies.
Roughly 37 percent of women who have chosen radical trachelectomy have carried full-term pregnancies.

After the upper part of the vagina has been reattached to the uterus, a cerclage, or cervical stitch, is permanently placed at what would be the passageway from the cervix to the uterine cavity. This is why full-term pregnancies in women who have had this procedure culminate with a caesarian section — the baby cannot make its way down the birth canal. Regarding recovery, radical trachelectomy is typically thought to be quicker and less painful than simple trachelectomy. Women can expect to carry a pregnancy after they are completely recovered, a time span ranging from six to nine months after the operation.

In a cervical conization, tissue samples are removed from the mucous membrane for analysis.
In a cervical conization, tissue samples are removed from the mucous membrane for analysis.

After surgery, radical trachelectomy and radical hysterectomy have similar rates of recurrence, 4 percent, and death after recurrence, 2 percent. Roughly 37 percent of women who have chosen radical trachelectomy have carried full-term. There is a no chance of maintaining fertility after a radical hysterectomy.

Gynecological oncologists perform trachelectomy on young women with early cervical cancer. In some cases, the upper part of the vagina and pelvic lymph nodes are removed, too. There may be a higher propensity for miscarriage for women having undergone trachelectomy.

A laparoscopic lymphadenectomy is often done at the same time the cervix is removed.
A laparoscopic lymphadenectomy is often done at the same time the cervix is removed.

Often brought to light and diagnosed on Pap smears, around 471,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year worldwide. In the US alone, about 3,500 women die from invasive forms of the disease. In some cases, oophorectomy, surgical removal of one or both ovaries, may go hand-in-hand with trachelectomy.

Discussion Comments

frosted

ShellM89 – The rate of cancer in 2007 in the United States was 7.9 out of 100,000, with higher rates found in many of the southern states. Washington DC had the highest rate, which was 11.2.

One step in preventative care for women is to have regular pelvic exams and pap smears to detect abnormal cells. Abnormal cells are, for the most part, symptomless.

If the abnormal cells do develop to the cervical cancer stage there can be indications, such as pain during intercourse and bloody vaginal discharge that isn’t during the menstrual cycle.

ShellM89

@jlknight65 - I agree. How wonderful that there is still hope for these women.

I was wondering what are the symptoms of cervical cancer? Is it a silent disease that isn’t discovered unless a woman goes in for another procedure?

How many women are diagnosed with this disease each year?

jlknight65

I think it is wonderful that this procedure was developed.

Before this development the only choice a woman had was to give up any hope of being pregnant. This trachelectomy procedure is a real blessing.

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    • Trachelectomy is a surgical procedure in which the cervix is removed.
      By: llhedgehogll
      Trachelectomy is a surgical procedure in which the cervix is removed.
    • Roughly 37 percent of women who have chosen radical trachelectomy have carried full-term pregnancies.
      By: Dmitriy Melnikov
      Roughly 37 percent of women who have chosen radical trachelectomy have carried full-term pregnancies.
    • In a cervical conization, tissue samples are removed from the mucous membrane for analysis.
      By: nandyphotos
      In a cervical conization, tissue samples are removed from the mucous membrane for analysis.
    • A laparoscopic lymphadenectomy is often done at the same time the cervix is removed.
      By: Cosmic
      A laparoscopic lymphadenectomy is often done at the same time the cervix is removed.
    • The cervix connects the vagina to the uterus.
      By: reineg
      The cervix connects the vagina to the uterus.
    • Women who have undergone a trachelectomy have a higher rate of miscarriage.
      By: Tatyana Gladskih
      Women who have undergone a trachelectomy have a higher rate of miscarriage.
    • Patients should receive plenty of rest following a trachelectomy.
      By: WavebreakMediaMicro
      Patients should receive plenty of rest following a trachelectomy.
    • Gynecological oncologists often perform trachelectomies on young women who are in the early stages of cervical cancer.
      By: JackF
      Gynecological oncologists often perform trachelectomies on young women who are in the early stages of cervical cancer.
    • A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure in which the uterus is removed.
      By: kocakayaali
      A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure in which the uterus is removed.