After a HIPEC treatment for peritoneal cancer, there may be complications in about 30% of interventions.
And after each surgery, complications such as infection or bleeding may occur.
Some complications are more specific to the HIPEC, including:
-a higher risk of dropping the sutures between the intestines because of the heated chemotherapy. In case of high risk, the doctor may consider it more secure to create a stoma (out part of the intestine) temporarily.
-liquid in the thoracic cavity (the space between the lungs and chest cavity), especially in cases of tumor resection on the diaphragm. In these cases, the surgeon will place a preventive pipes in the chest cavity to suck any liquid for a few days.
-delayed evacuation of the stomach for about two weeks (see above).
Complications of chemotherapy are very rare.
