Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
How long is the operation, and how long is the hospital stay? | CION Cancer Clinics
Pelvic exenteration usually takes between six and twelve hours in theatre, and the hospital stay is usually two to four weeks, starting with a night or two in intensive care. Both are longer than for almost any other cancer operation. This page walks through what each stage of the stay looks like, what makes it longer, and what a family in Hyderabad or a district should plan for before the day. 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
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On this page
- How long does pelvic exenteration take, and how long is the stay?
- What the hospital stay usually looks like
- What makes the operation or the stay longer?
- What to plan for, in hospital and at home
- Three things families ask about the length of it all
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about the operation time and the stay
The short answer
How long does pelvic exenteration take, and how long is the stay?
The operation itself usually takes somewhere between six and twelve hours, and the hospital stay is usually two to four weeks. Both are longer than for almost any other cancer operation, because several organs are removed together and new routes have to be built for urine and stool.
Why the operation takes so long
Most of the hours go on freeing the block of organs from the pelvic bones, blood vessels and nerves, carefully, so that the edges are clear and the bleeding is controlled. Then the surgeon builds the stomas, and often a flap of muscle and skin to fill the space left behind. The anaesthetic team is with you throughout.
Why the stay is measured in weeks
You will spend the first night or two in intensive care, then move to the ward. After that the bowel has to wake up, the drains have to come out, the wounds have to start healing, and you have to learn to manage one or two stomas with your own hands before you go home. None of that can be rushed.
These are typical figures, not a promise. Your own surgeon will give you a range for your operation, and the stay can be longer if healing is slow or a complication needs treating.Week by week
What the hospital stay usually looks like
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The day of the operation
You go to theatre in the morning. Your family will wait most of the day. The surgeon usually speaks to them once the operation is over, and you go from theatre to intensive care, still drowsy and with several tubes and drains in place.
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Intensive care
Usually one to three days. You are watched closely, pain is controlled through a drip or a fine tube in the back, and you are helped to sit up and breathe deeply. Visiting is limited for your safety.
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The first week on the ward
Tubes come out one at a time as they stop being needed. You start with sips, then fluids, then soft food once the bowel is moving. The physiotherapist gets you walking early.
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Learning the stomas
The stoma nurse first changes the bags for you, then with you, then watches you do it alone. You will not be sent home until you or a family member can manage a change confidently. This usually takes up most of the second week.
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Going home
You leave once you are eating, walking, passing stool into the bag, managing the stomas, and the wounds are healing. You go home with supplies, a written plan, a number to call, and a follow-up date.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistWhat changes the numbers
What makes the operation or the stay longer?
The ranges above are wide because these things vary from person to person. Ask your surgeon which apply to you.
The type of exenteration
Total exenteration, which removes both bladder and rectum, takes longer than anterior or posterior, and leaves two stomas to learn instead of one. An extended operation that reaches the side wall adds hours again.
Reconstruction
A flap of muscle and skin to fill the pelvis, or a new vagina, is a second operation inside the first. It adds time in theatre and a second wound to heal.
Earlier radiotherapy
Most people having this operation have had radiotherapy to the pelvis before. Treated tissue bleeds more, sticks together, and heals more slowly, which lengthens both the operation and the stay.
A complication
An infection, a leak, a wound that opens, or a bowel that is slow to wake can each add days or weeks. These are common enough after this operation that the team plans for them rather than being surprised.
Most often
- Wound infection, especially between the legs
- A bowel that stays quiet for longer
- Urine infection around the new conduit
For the family
What to plan for, in hospital and at home
In hospital
At home afterwards
One family member who can stay nearby for the whole stay, and take over from another
Someone at home full time for the first few weeks, especially if you live in a district and the centre is in Hyderabad
A family member learning the stoma change alongside you
A stock of bags and supplies, and knowing where to buy more locally
Leave from work for the person who will be with you
Time off for yourself, usually a matter of months rather than weeks
Insurance or scheme paperwork sorted before admission, not during
Transport back for follow-up visits and any wound checks
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Commonly believed
Three things families ask about the length of it all
"If the operation is taking longer than they said, something has gone wrong."
Usually not. Estimates are given as a range because the slow, careful freeing of the organs cannot be timed in advance. Ask the ward before the day how you will be kept informed.
"A longer stay means the hospital is keeping her for the money."
After this operation, being kept in is almost always about healing and safety: a wound that is not yet closed, a bowel that is not yet moving, or a stoma the family cannot yet manage. Ask the surgeon directly what has to happen before discharge.
"Once she is home, the recovery is over."
Going home is the middle of recovery, not the end. Full recovery of strength, appetite and daily routine usually takes three to six months, and a wound between the legs can take longer to close fully. Plan the household around that, not around the discharge date.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
This page cannot tell you how long your own operation or stay will be. The figures here are typical ranges drawn from published guidance, and your surgeon will give you a range for your operation once the type, the reconstruction and your fitness are known.
What it means if you are coming from a district
If you live outside Hyderabad, the stay and the follow-up visits are a real burden on the family, and it is better to plan for that openly than to be caught out. Ask the centre about accommodation nearby for the person staying with you, whether early follow-up can be done by phone or video, and where stoma supplies can be bought close to home.
Questions worth asking before the day
How long do you expect my operation to take. How will my family be updated during it. How many days in intensive care are you planning for. What has to happen before I can go home. Who do I call at night once I am home.
If you need help planning the practical side, call the helpline. The team can tell you what to arrange and when.
Did you know
The single thing that most shortens a hospital stay after a big operation is walking early and often, even a few steps on the first day on the ward. It wakes the bowel, protects the lungs and lowers the chance of a clot. Family can help most by walking with you, not by asking you to rest.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about the operation time and the stay
Will the family be told anything during the operation?
Practice varies between hospitals. Some send a message from theatre part way through; most speak to the family once the operation is finished, before you wake. Ask the ward the day before who will update you and how, so that you are not left guessing through a long afternoon.
Why does she have to go to intensive care? Did something go wrong?
No. Intensive care after this operation is planned, not a sign of trouble. After many hours of anaesthetic and a large amount of fluid and blood replaced, the safest place to spend the first night or two is where one nurse watches one or two patients closely. Most people move to the ward within a few days.
Can someone stay with the patient on the ward?
Usually yes, once you are out of intensive care. One attendant is normal on Indian wards, and it helps if that person also learns the stoma care, because they will be doing it at home. Ask the centre about its visiting and attendant rules before admission.
When will I be able to eat?
Sips of water within a day or two, then fluids, then soft food once the bowel starts moving and the stoma begins to work. Because a piece of bowel has been used to build the urine route, the gut is slower to wake than after a smaller operation. A dietitian will guide what and how much.
Do I go home with drains or tubes still in?
Sometimes. The thin tubes that protect the join between the kidneys and the new urine route are often left in for a while and removed at a clinic visit. Occasionally a wound drain goes home with you. You will be shown how to look after anything that stays, and told exactly when it comes out.
How long before I can travel back to my district?
Usually once the surgeon is happy with the wounds and the stomas, which may be a week or more after discharge if early follow-up is needed. A long car or bus journey soon after this operation is tiring, so ask whether the first check can be done by phone.
When can I go back to work?
It depends on the work. Desk work is often possible after a few months; anything involving lifting, long standing or travel takes longer, and some people change what they do. Your surgeon will give you a personal view at follow-up. Do not set a date before then.
Does a longer stay cost more, and will insurance cover it?
A longer stay does usually cost more, and this is one reason to settle the paperwork before admission. Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS are accepted at CION, and most cashless insurers are empanelled. Call the helpline if you need help checking your cover.
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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
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Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
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Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
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Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
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Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
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Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
Paying for it
Insurance, schemes and payment
What you actually pay usually differs a great deal from the sticker figure.
AarogyasriEmpanelled. Bring the card and a referral where you have one.
CGHS / ECHS / EHSAccepted at CION centres for eligible treatment.
Cashless insuranceMost major insurers are empanelled. Pre-authorisation is handled by our desk.
Self-payItemised estimate given before treatment starts. No EMI scheme exists.
Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. A surgical consultation can be booked at any of these centres through one helpline, and your team will tell you where the operation itself takes place.
Warangal
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Sources
- Cancer Research UK — Pelvic exenteration for cervical cancer
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Surgery for cancer
- American Cancer Society — Surgery for Cervical Cancer
- NHS — Colostomy
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
ICU and the First Days After SurgeryWhat intensive care is like and why it is plannedLiving With Two StomasThe part of the stay that takes longest to learnPerineal Wound Healing After ExenterationThe slowest wound to heal, and what to expectCaretaker and Family Guide to SurgeryWhat the person staying with you needs to knowPelvic Exenteration Cost in HyderabadHow the length of stay affects the bill
Talk to us
Planning for the operation and the stay?
Call the helpline or send us the surgeon's letter. The team will tell you what to arrange, what your scheme or insurer covers, and what the weeks after look like. One helpline serves every CION centre.