ABSTRACT
The postoperative care of the low-risk ovarian cancer patient may differ little from the postoperative care of women undergoing abdominopelvic surgery for nonmalignant conditions. In general, early ambulation and pulmonary toilet are encouraged, with careful attention to diet and fluid management. On the other hand, patients with advanced-stage disease are often sicker than the typical gynecologic oncology patient. These women tend to be older, have more medical comorbidities, be nutritionally depleted and require more extensive surgical procedures for optimal resection of their disease, and thus are at a higher risk of infection and other postoperative complications.
