Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Organs that may be removed during cytoreduction, and what changes without them | CION Cancer Clinics
The organs most often removed during cytoreduction, in whole or in part, are the omentum, the spleen, the gallbladder, sections of bowel, and in women the womb and ovaries. Only an organ the cancer has grown into is taken; cancer sitting on a surface is stripped off instead. This page explains why each organ might be removed, what the words on the consent form mean, and what life is like without them. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
17+specialists on panel
15,000+patients treated
35+centres across Telangana & AP
4.8★ / 800+Google rating
On this page
- Which organs can be removed during cytoreduction?
- What each organ does, and what changes without it
- How does the surgeon decide what to take?
- The words you will see, in plain language
- What is life like without these organs?
- Four things families say about organ removal
- Common questions about organs removed during cytoreduction
The short answer
Which organs can be removed during cytoreduction?
The organs most often removed, in whole or in part, are the omentum (the fatty apron over the bowel), the spleen, the gallbladder, sections of large or small bowel, and in women the womb and ovaries. Less often, part of the stomach, the tail of the pancreas, or the lining of the diaphragm is taken. Which ones depends entirely on where the cancer has grown in.
Why an organ is removed rather than cleaned
Cancer that sits on the surface of an organ can be stripped off with the lining. Cancer that has grown into the wall of an organ cannot. The aim of cytoreduction, the surgical clearing of visible cancer, is to leave nothing behind that can be seen, so an organ the cancer has invaded is removed with it.
The surgeon removes only what is involved
Nothing is taken for the sake of completeness. If the spleen is clean, it stays. If only one part of the bowel is involved, only that part goes. The consent form lists every organ that might be removed, because the surgeon cannot know until the abdomen is open.
This page cannot tell you which organs your own operation will involve. Ask your surgeon what the scans suggest, and what they would do if they find more.Organ by organ
What each organ does, and what changes without it
The omentum
A fatty apron hanging from the stomach over the bowel. It traps cancer cells so reliably that it is removed in almost every one of these operations. Living without it causes no change you would notice.
The spleen
Sits high on the left, close to the lining under the diaphragm, and is often removed when that region is stripped. You can live without it, but you become more open to certain infections and will need vaccinations and, often, a long-term antibiotic.
The gallbladder
A small bag under the liver that stores bile. It sits in a region commonly stripped, so it is often taken. Most people notice no change in digestion afterwards.
Large bowel
The sigmoid colon and rectum, low in the pelvis, are the most commonly involved. Part of the right colon is sometimes taken with an appendix tumour. The ends are usually joined; sometimes a stoma is needed.
Small bowel
Short segments can be removed and rejoined. Long stretches cannot, because the small bowel absorbs nutrition and too little of it causes lasting problems. Widespread disease here is a common reason to stop.
Womb and ovaries
Cancer settles in the pelvis, so in women these are often removed with the pelvic lining. In a woman who has not reached menopause this brings it on at once, and the team should discuss that beforehand.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistIn the theatre
How does the surgeon decide what to take?
Look everywhere first
Before removing anything, the surgeon examines every region and scores the amount of disease. This decides whether the operation can go ahead at all.
Strip what can be stripped
Where cancer sits on a surface, the lining is lifted away and the organ beneath is kept. This is always tried first.
Remove what cancer has grown into
Where the cancer has entered the wall of an organ, that organ or part of it is removed. The surgeon takes the smallest amount that clears the disease.
Protect the small bowel
Because you cannot live well without most of it, the surgeon is far more careful here, and will stop rather than take too much.
Join or bring out
Cut bowel is rejoined where the ends are healthy and the blood supply is good. Where a join would be risky, a stoma is made instead, usually with the aim of reversing it later.
On the consent form
The words you will see, in plain language
- Omentectomy
- Removal of the omentum, the fatty apron over the bowel.
- Splenectomy
- Removal of the spleen. It means vaccinations and extra care with infections for life.
- Cholecystectomy
- Removal of the gallbladder.
- Hemicolectomy / sigmoid colectomy
- Removal of the right or left half of the large bowel, or of the sigmoid section low on the left.
- Hysterectomy and oophorectomy
- Removal of the womb, and of the ovaries. Often done together during pelvic stripping.
- Anastomosis
- A join between two cut ends of bowel. If it fails to heal it can leak, which is the most serious complication of the operation.
- Stoma
- An opening on the belly wall where bowel is brought out into a bag. Many made during this operation are temporary.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Afterwards
What is life like without these organs?
For most of them, much the same as before. The omentum and gallbladder are not missed. Bowel that has been shortened settles into a new pattern over months. The two changes that need real attention are the loss of the spleen and, in younger women, the loss of the ovaries.
Without a spleen
The spleen helps fight certain bacteria. Without it, some infections can become serious quickly. You will be given vaccinations, ideally before the operation, a card to carry, and often a daily antibiotic. Any fever after a splenectomy needs same-day medical attention, for the rest of your life. Tell every doctor you see that you have no spleen.
Without the ovaries
If you have not reached menopause, removing both ovaries brings it on immediately: hot flushes, disturbed sleep and mood changes can start within days. Ask before the operation what can be done about symptoms, and about fertility if that matters to you, because the answer depends on your cancer type.
With a stoma
A stoma nurse teaches you and one family member how to manage the bag before you go home. Many stomas made in this operation are planned as temporary and closed at a smaller operation months later, once the join below has healed. Ask which kind yours would be.
Commonly believed
Four things families say about organ removal
"The consent form lists eight organs, so they will take all of them."
The form lists everything that might be needed, because the surgeon cannot know until the abdomen is open. In most operations only some of the list is used. Ask the surgeon which ones they actually expect from your scans.
"Without the spleen he will be weak for life."
People without a spleen live full, active lives. What changes is infection risk, which is managed with vaccinations, an antibiotic, and the rule that any fever is treated the same day. It is a discipline, not a disability.
"A stoma is always for ever."
Many stomas made during this operation are temporary, placed to protect a bowel join while it heals, and closed at a later, smaller operation. Some are permanent. Ask which is planned in your case, and what would change that.
"They should remove everything, to be safe."
Every organ removed adds risk and recovery time, and removing a clean organ does not lower the chance of the cancer coming back. The surgeon takes what the cancer has invaded and leaves what it has not.
Did you know
Everything removed is examined under the microscope. The pathology report that comes back later tells your team which organs actually had cancer in them, and shapes what happens next.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about organs removed during cytoreduction
Will I know before the operation which organs will go?
Only partly. Scans show the larger deposits, so your surgeon can tell you what they expect. The final decision is made once the abdomen is open and every surface can be seen. Ask what is likely, what is possible, and what would be a surprise.
Can I eat normally without a gallbladder or omentum?
Yes. Neither is needed for digestion. A few people find very fatty meals sit less comfortably without a gallbladder. Eating after this operation is shaped far more by the bowel surgery and the slow return of appetite than by either of these organs.
How do I stay safe without a spleen?
Keep the vaccinations your team arranges up to date, take any antibiotic you are prescribed exactly as told, carry a card or note saying you have no spleen, and treat any fever as urgent, going to a doctor the same day. Tell every new doctor and dentist.
Will removing my ovaries affect my cancer treatment?
For some cancers, removing the ovaries is part of treating the disease, because they are a common place for it to settle. For others it is done because the pelvic lining around them is being stripped. Ask your surgeon which applies, and ask whether anything can be offered for menopause symptoms afterwards.
How much bowel can be removed safely?
Most of the large bowel can be removed, and people adapt with looser or more frequent motions. The small bowel is different: it absorbs nutrition, and losing too much causes lasting problems with weight and vitamins. Surgeons protect it carefully and will stop the operation rather than take too much.
If a stoma is made, when can it be closed?
Usually after the join below has healed and you have recovered from the main operation, which is a matter of months rather than weeks. Any further chemotherapy is often completed first. Closure is a smaller operation with a shorter stay. Ask whether closure is planned in your case.
Does removing more organs mean the cancer was worse?
It means the cancer had grown into more places, which the pathology report will confirm. It does not by itself say how the cancer will behave next. What the team looks at is whether all the visible disease could be cleared, and what the report on the removed tissue shows.
Is the cost higher if more organs are removed?
Usually, because the operation is longer and the stay may be too. Ask for a written estimate that says what it assumes. Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS are accepted, and most cashless insurers are empanelled. Call the helpline with your card details and we will check your cover before you travel.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
Want a specific doctor for your case? Mention them when booking.
Book Free ConsultationBook an appointment with our specialist
Share your name and number — we'll call you back within 30 minutes to schedule your consultation.
Sources
- NICE — Cytoreduction surgery followed by hyperthermic intraoperative peritoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal carcinomatosis (IPG331)
- Cancer Research UK — Pseudomyxoma peritonei
- NHS — Spleen problems and spleen removal
- National Cancer Institute — Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer Treatment (PDQ)
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Surgery for cancer
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Peritonectomy: Stripping the Lining of the AbdomenWhat happens to the lining, as opposed to the organsEating and Nutrition After HIPECHow bowel surgery shapes eating afterwardsRecovery After Cytoreduction and HIPECThe weeks and months after the operationThe Pathology Report After SurgeryWhat the report on the removed tissue tells youHIPEC and Peritoneal Surface SurgeryEvery page in this guide
Talk to us
Worried about what the consent form lists?
Send us the scans and the consent form, or call the helpline. An oncologist will explain what is likely, what is possible, and what to ask your surgeon. One helpline serves every CION centre.