Opportunistic Salpingectomy During Bariatric Surgery for Ovarian Cancer Prevention

Ovarian cancer is a deadly disease that is hard to detect early and difficult to treat. Research shows that most ovarian cancers actually start in the fallopian tubes, not the ovaries. Removing the fallopian tubes (a procedure called salpingectomy) can lower the risk of ovarian cancer by about 80%. This procedure has no added risk to the patient, but does lead to sterilization and thus it is only offered to individuals who have completed child-bearing. Adding salpingectomy to another surgery that a patient is undergoing is called opportunistic salpingectomy and is already standard of practice in many gynecologic surgeries, such as hysterectomy. However, it is not yet commonly offered during weight-loss (bariatric) surgery, even though many patients having this surgery could benefit. This study will test whether it is practical and safe to offer fallopian tube removal during bariatric surgery at three hospitals in Canada. Patients who are eligible and interested will be invited to have their fallopian tubes removed at the same time as their planned weight-loss surgery. The research team will track whether the procedure can be completed successfully, whether there are any added complications, and how much extra time or resources are needed. The goal is to help make this cancer-prevention option available to more people.