Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a treatment that complements cytoreduction surgery for the treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis.
What is the HIPEC technique?
The intervention is carried out after completing cytoreduction surgery and consists of the administration of a chemotherapy bath inside the abdomen at a temperature between 40-43ºC for a specific time, between 60-120 minutes.
The administration of the hot chemotherapy dose is done in the form of a perfusion, and is removed from the abdomen at the end of the intervention. The aim is to eliminate any tumor cells that may be free in the abdomen after surgery.
Most common side effects of HIPEC
HIPEC is an effective treatment for patients with a limited extent of disease. However, like any oncological treatment, it is not free of side effects.
Among the most common are nausea and vomiting due to irritation of the digestive system, as well as extreme fatigue resulting from surgery and chemotherapy.
Cytoreduction surgery is an intervention that includes removal of the peritoneum (peritonectomy) and, on multiple occasions, visceral resections to completely eliminate peritoneal metastases.
This is a major surgery. In this context, some surgical complications, although rare, can be serious, such as anastomotic dehiscence, bleeding or abdominal infections. In addition, these complications can be compounded by the side effects of chemotherapy, such as anemia, decreased white blood cells and platelets, which may require transfusions.
Therefore, to minimize complications, our patients enter a circuit of prehabilitation and personalized postoperative care.
Long-term side effects
Rare systemic effects may include impairment of renal function. However, this impairment has decreased significantly with the implementation of the new protocols for platinum-based HIPEC. Liver damage, usually transient, may also develop.
Finally, there is the possibility of adhesions forming, which could lead to intestinal obstructions, causing pain and digestive difficulties. All these effects should be monitored and treated appropriately.
Managing the side effects of HIPEC
Proper management of side effects after HIPEC is crucial to ensure optimal recovery. For the first 48 hours the protocol calls for the patient to remain in ICU for close monitoring.
Subsequently, the patient in IVOQA continues his recovery on the ward with the entire team of nutritionists, internal medicine professionals, psycho-oncologists and rehabilitators, taking care of every moment of his postoperative period.
Mild complications are usually resolved with medical treatment. On the other hand, serious complications may require measures and treatment by interventional radiology or a new surgical intervention.
IVOQA has one of the best multidisciplinary professional teams in Spain to perform cytoreduction surgery and HIPEC, and its subsequent follow-up.
