Intensive Care Management of Patient After Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC - A Concise Review

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in combination with cytoreductive surgery is a targeted treatment approach in which tumors that have spread through the lining of the abdomen are removed and then heated chemotherapy is perfused throughout the abdomen, with the intent of killing any remaining cancer cells that may be present after all the visible disease has been removed surgically. The chemotherapy is administered in high dosages to the targeted area and washed out, thereby limiting the systemic toxicity. The procedure usually takes 8 to 18 h and is most commonly used to treat appendiceal, colorectal or mesothelioma tumors including those that have failed standard chemotherapy and/or prior surgeries. Patients face major and life threatening derangements of their hemodynamic, respiratory and metabolic physiologic balance during the surgery and in the immediate postoperative period. Intensive monitoring and timely detection of possible complications and appropriate remedial action is crucial for better surgical results.