Primary surgery for stage IB-IIA cervical cancer, including short-term and long-term morbidity and treatment in pregnancy.

Radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy are indicated for the treatment of cervical carcinoma that is localized clinically to the cervix and upper vagina. Intraoperative complications have been reported in 1.1%-7.4% of patients. Long-term complications include bladder dysfunction (2% at 3 years), urinary fistula (vesical, 0.8%; ureteral, 1.2%), stress urinary incontinence (29%), ureteral stricture (1%), rectal dysfunction (80%), severe constipation (5.3%), lymphocysts (20% by ultrasonography; 2% clinically), and lymphedema (10%). The operative mortality is 0.7%. The 5-year survival rate for patients with stage IB disease is 85.7% and for stage IIA is 69.6%. The recurrence rate is 27.2%. Recurrences are distributed equally between the pelvis and extrapelvic sites. Radical hysterectomy is the treatment of choice for pregnant patients with early cervical cancer. It affords termination or delivery of the pregnancy at the same time that the treatment is provided. For patients with stage I disease treated with radical hysterectomy, the survival rate is 92.1%.