What is HIPEC surgery?

Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a pioneering medical technique for treating advanced abdominal cancer. The scientific surgery technique is when they open the abdomen in a process known as heated chemotherapy and put a huge dosage of drugs or chemicals into the abdomen to fight the cancer that has grown outside the original organ. 

HIPEC surgery is a more precise and efficient type of treatment in cases when a treatment with traditional chemotherapy becomes ineffective when abdominal malignancies have reached the peritoneum (the covering of the abdominal cavity).

Conditions Treated with HIPEC

The HIPEC procedure is a specialized treatment designed to address various abdominal cancers and fluid accumulation. The following cancer is treated with this advanced technique by our specialized team:

 

Primary Cancers:

  • Adrenal cancer
  • Appendix cancer
  • Colon and rectal cancer
  • Gastric (stomach) cancer
  • Liver cancer
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Peritoneal cancer

 

Other Conditions:

  • Mesothelioma
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Soft tissue sarcomas
  • Wilms’ tumor (pediatric)
  • Desmoplastic small round cell tumors (DSRCT)

The HIPEC Procedure: A Two-Stage Approach

HIPEC surgery has two stages:

  • Cytoreductive surgery

The process starts with a cytoreductive operation, which is done under general anesthesia. At this first phase, your surgeon will make an incision into the abdomen to see any visible cancerous tumor and subsequently cut out all the visible cancerous growth and the affected body parts. It is an excruciating procedure in which the surgeon removes malignant tumors spread inside the abdominal cavity to prepare the region to receive a follow-up treatment of chemotherapy.

  • Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)

The new advanced treatment, HIPEC, commences after the tumor has been removed. The wording in the procedure name is composed of the three most important aspects of the procedure:

 

  • Hyperthermic: The clinical solution is heated to 108 degrees Fahrenheit (41-43 degrees Celsius) as a chemotherapy solution. This increased temperature is important since heat is cytotoxic; that is, it increases the cancer-killing effect of the therapy. A study conducted proved that heating some cancer treatment drugs enhances their capacity to kill cancer cells by a wide margin.
  • Intraperitoneal: Chemotherapy is administered directly into the interior of the abdominal cavity; cancers that are not efficiently approached by systemic chemotherapy can therefore be treated. Maximum tumor concentration is guaranteed using this direct delivery approach.
  • Chemotherapy: This process involves the elective use of warmed chemotherapeutic drugs in a continuous run that irrigates the whole abdominal cavity to destroy any microscopic cancer cells that might be left behind following surgical eradication.

Advantages of HIPEC Over Traditional Chemotherapy

HIPEC offers several significant benefits compared to conventional chemotherapy treatments:

 

Single Treatment Protocol

HIPEC is a one-time procedure in the operating room compared to traditional chemotherapy, which is repeated several times in weeks or months. Such a focused treatment decreases the total amount of treatment load that the patients have and optimizes the treatment effect.

 

Local Therapy with Low Systemic Side Effects

HIPEC treatment leaves about 90 percent of the dose of chemotherapy medication in the abdominal cavity. The localization significantly decreases the damaging effects of the medication on other body organs because it is not systemically transferred in the organism, as in the case of traditional chemotherapy.

 

Increased Dosage Capacity

The localized route of administration allows doctors to administer more significant or intense doses of chemotherapy as compared to when employing the systemic treatment route. Such a higher concentration is more capable of fighting cancer, and at the same time, has safer effects on the patient.

 

Targeted Effectiveness

HIPEC has very high specificity for abdominal cancers by targeting them, and particularly, it is effective in aggressive diseases that have disseminated to the peritoneal cavity. A combination of surgery and warm chemotherapy will result in the overall strategy of treatment.

Patient Care and Comprehensive Treatment

Our team of medical practitioners specializes in HIPEC therapy for adults and also children, encompassing all patients regardless of their age. The operation is most helpful to patients whose abdominal cancers are advanced to the degree that they do not respond properly to the commonly used treatment procedures.

 

The high-temperature aspect of HIPEC chemotherapy has proven to be superior in the treatment of many diseases, such as soft tissue sarcomas, cancer of the appendix, and other diseases of the abdominal cavity. As a multidisciplinary practice, we provide each of our patients with unique care pursuant to his/her condition involving specific needs.

Consultation and Scheduling

We know that individuals who have to deal with a cancer diagnosis need urgent care and professional support. To talk about the treatment and create individual plans, our team is more than ready to provide full consultations.

 

Consultation Hours:

 

  • Monday to Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Sunday: Video Call Consultation (by prior appointment)

 

Contact Information:

 

  • Phone: +91-8218819398
  • Video consultations are available for remote patients.

Why Choose HIPEC?

HIPEC surgery is a breakthrough in the treatment of cancer, and there is hope for patients who have advanced abdominal cancer. The combination of surgical accuracy and local administration of chemotherapy for targeted cancer treatment is unique to the procedure, offering clinicians a strong weapon against the disease, minimizing potential side effects, and increasing success rates relative to classical treatment alternatives.

 

We have a team of skilled surgeons who are experts in such a complicated procedure; this is one of the reasons that patients get the best care during their treatment process. To learn more about how HIPEC surgery can help address your specific condition and treatment objectives, please contact us, and our experts will be happy to provide more information.