Intraoperative lymph scintigraphy during radical surgery for cervical cancer

Intraoperative lymph scintigraphy during radical surgery for cervical cancer was developed in the course of a program covering three periods. During the last period technetium-99m antimony sulfide has been used to visualize pelvic lymph nodes. Surgery is done with a modified gamma camera serving as an operating table. This ensures intraoperative monitoring and greater thoroughness of lymphadenectomy. The introduction of the technique has improved the rate of total lymphadenectomies and has increased both the yields of involved nodes and the 3-yr survival rates.