Case SeriesPelvic exenteration case series: A single surgeon's experience at one institution in Trinidad and Tobago

- This case series provides details on one surgeon's experience performing pelvic exenterations (PEs) in a developing country.
- We provide a detailed surgical approach as well as complications based on the Clavien-Dindo classification.
- We offer suggestions for surgeons in developing countries planning to undertake PEs.

IntroductionPelvic exenteration (PE) is an ultra-radical surgical procedure characterized by the en bloc resection of the pelvic organs.MethodsIn this case series, we report retrospectively on four patients who underwent PE in Trinidad and Tobago from 2012 to 2016. One male patient had rectal cancer while one each of three women had cervical, colon, or rectal cancer.ResultsEarly postoperative complications (≤30 days) occurred in all patients, while late complications (>30 days) occurred in one patient (Grade 1 - Clavien-Dindo classification). Disease recurrence occurred in 50% of patients, and the median overall survival was 8 months (range, 4-15 months).DiscussionThere are many inherent challenges to conducting such major procedures in developing countries, including inadequate blood product supplies, intensive care unit beds, and pre- and post-operative support services. With increased surgical capacity and support infrastructure, hospitals in these regions would be equipped to perform PEs with better outcomes.ConclusionThis case series adds to existing data on the feasibility of performing PE in developing countries. We demonstrate that PE can be performed without major postoperative complications in a resource-limited hospital. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case series that describes PE in the Caribbean.