A Text-book of Diseases of WomenPenrose, Charles B. (Charles Bingham)
Science
A Text-book of Diseases of Women
Penrose, Charles B. (Charles Bingham)
Women -- Diseases
Involvement of the pelvic lymphatic glands may sometimes be determined
by vaginal palpation, one or more such enlarged indurated glands being
felt lying posterior to the uterus. In most cases, however, glandular
involvement can be determined only after the abdomen has been opened.
In general, it may be said that the operation of hysterectomy should
be performed in all cases in which there is no cancerous involvement
of the bladder and rectum, in which the vaginal disease may all be
removed, and in which the uterus is freely movable.
In those cases in which complete removal of the disease is impossible
the operation of hysterectomy should not be performed, because, cure
being out of the question, the symptoms of hemorrhage, pain, and
discharge may be as well relieved by less dangerous forms of palliative
treatment. When the disease extends beyond the limits of the uterus,
hysterectomy is much more difficult and dangerous than when the uterus
is freely movable.
The remote results of hysterectomy for cancer of the cervix are
poor. In the very great majority of all cases submitted to operation
recurrence has taken place. It seems very probable that a few of the
cases of recurrence are due to transplantation of cancer-cells into
healthy tissue during the operation; but the vast majority die because
all of the diseased tissues have not been or can not be removed. The
hope for better results from the surgical treatment of cancer of the
cervix depends, not upon improvement in the surgical technique, but
upon the ability of the general practitioner to recognize the disease
in its earliest stages, before inaccessible structures have been
involved.
_Palliative Treatment of Cancer of the Cervix._--The palliative
treatment consists in removing as thoroughly as possible, with the
sharp spoon-curette, scissors, or knife, all the cancerous cervix, and
the maintenance of the surfaces thus exposed, as far as possible, free
from septic infection.
The woman should be placed in the lithotomy position; the cervix should
be exposed with the Sims speculum and, if necessary, with the lateral
vaginal retractors. All vegetations and all of the degenerated cervix
should then be cut away. It is usually necessary to carry the excision
of tissue as high as the internal os. Bleeding during this procedure is
sometimes very profuse. It diminishes, however, as the more degenerated
portions of the cervix are cut away and the healthier uterine tissue
is reached, and therefore it is always best to complete the operation,
notwithstanding hemorrhage.
The bleeding may be controlled by packing the cavity with gauze or
cotton, plain or saturated with Monsel’s solution. Moderate bleeding
may be checked by packing with cotton saturated with a 5 per cent.
solution of antipyrine.
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