Omentectomy…this might seem a mouthful to say but its process can be quite easy to understand.
Omentectomy is a procedure where the omentum is removed. The omentum is a thin lining of abdominal tissue surrounding the stomach, large intestine and other abdominal organs. For patients with ovarian cancer and in cases where the omentum has been permeated by cancer cells, an omentectomy might be recommended as a preventive measure. This is so as to reduce the possibility of the cancer cells spreading from the ovaries to the stomach and other organs.
Patients either have the whole omentum or a part of it removed. Also for these patients, the omentectomy is usually combined with other procedures such as hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), oophorectomy (removal of one or both ovaries) or salpingectomy (removal of one or both fallopian tubes).
After the surgery is done, patients may have to undergo chemotherapy to eliminate any remaining cancer cells.