Laparotomy Biopsy results

Is it possible to have laparotomy (exploratory) surgery for ovarian and uterin cancer and receive the biopsy results that day?

[Annekathryn Goodman, M.D.]

Hi There,
There is a type of pathology processing called a "frozen section". A piece of tissue is frozen, then a small slice of it is placed on a microscopy slide. The slide is stained . We used this process all the time to get a first report. Also it can help guide decisions in the operating room. For instance, an ovarian cyst is removed and sent to the pathology lab. A frozen section is performed. The report comes back - it is endometriosis. So no further surgery is done. Or the report comes back, it is cancer, and then a full hysterectomy and removal of both ovaries and tubes plus lymph node biopsies is down. (of course this is only done is a preop consent and discussion has established permission to do this.)

Sometimes the frozen section does not given the complete story and when further processing is completed, the final report comes back with a different diagnosis. The "permanent section" takes about a week.