biology

Wertheim–Meigs operation

Wertheim–Meigs operation is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Wertheim–Meigs operation rather than just read about it. In short: The Wertheim–Meigs operation (named after Ernst Wertheim and Joe Vincent Meigs) is a surgical procedure for the treatment of cervical cancer performed by way of an abdominal incision. History The German surgeon Wilhelm Alexander Freund undertook the first ever abdominal extirpation of a cancerous uterus on January 30, 1878.

Key takeaways

Wertheim–Meigs operation belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Wertheim–Meigs operation to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Wertheim–Meigs operation from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Wertheim–Meigs operation (named after Ernst Wertheim and Joe Vincent Meigs) is a surgical procedure for the treatment of cervical cancer performed by way of an abdominal incision.

History The German surgeon Wilhelm Alexander Freund undertook the first ever abdominal extirpation of a cancerous uterus on January 30, 1878. The first radical hysterectomy operation was described by John G. Clark, resident gynecologist under Howard Kelly at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1895. In 1898, Ernst Wertheim, a Viennese physician, developed the radical total hysterectomy with removal of the pelvic lymph nodes and the parametrium. In 1905, he reported the outcomes of his first 270 patients. The operative mortality rate was 18%, and the major morbidity rate was 31%. In 1912, Wertheim reported on his first 500 operations and had his name assigned to the operation. In 1944, Meigs repopularized the surgical approach when he developed a modified Wertheim operation with removal of all pelvic nodes. Meigs reported a survival rate of 75% for patients with stage I disease and demonstrated an operative mortality rate of 1% when these procedures were performed by a specially trained gynecologist.

Scope and indications The Wertheim–Meigs operation is used to treat stage IA2, IB1, IB2 and IIA cervical cancers, stage II adenocarcinomas of the endometrium, upper vaginal carcinomas, uterine or cervical sarcomas, and other rare malignancies confined to the area of the cervix, uterus, and/or upper vagina. It is one of the most comprehensive gynecological interventions. It consists of the following measures:

Radical hysterectomy, the total removal of the uterus and the ligaments that hold it in place in the pelvis Lymphadenectomy with removal of the connective and adipose tissue including the pelvic lymph nodes on both sides in the course of the common iliac, external iliac and internal iliac arteries. . Removal of the surrounding vaginal tissue from the obturator foramen to the pelvic floor. The ovaries and fallopian tubes are typically left intact, although this decision is made on an individual basis.

Complications The morbidity associated with the Wertheim–Meigs operation is substantial. The most important complications are ureteral, ureterovaginal, and vesicovaginal fistulae, appearing during the immediate postoperative convalescence period or later mainly in patients who received subsequent radiotherapy. Other complications are described: intraoperative hemorrhage due to pelvic large vessel lesion, ureter or bladder accidental section, abdominal wall dehiscence, ureteral obstruction causing hydronephrosis and renal exclusion, disorders such as urinary incontinence, pollakiuria, vesical atony, often accompanied by urinary tract infection and hematuria.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wertheim–Meigs operation

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wertheim–Meigs operation claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Wertheim–Meigs operation before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Wertheim–Meigs operation ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Wertheim–Meigs operation

In research: Wertheim–Meigs operation appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Wertheim–Meigs operation in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Wertheim–Meigs operation is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Gynecological surgery, Sterilization (medicine), Surgical oncology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wertheim–Meigs operation outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Wertheim–Meigs operation” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Wertheim–Meigs operation in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Wertheim–Meigs operation means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Wertheim–Meigs operation out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wertheim–Meigs operation in simple terms?

The Wertheim–Meigs operation (named after Ernst Wertheim and Joe Vincent Meigs) is a surgical procedure for the treatment of cervical cancer performed by way of an abdominal incision. History The German surgeon Wilhelm Alexander Freund undertook the first ever abdominal extirpation of a cancerous u…

Why does Wertheim–Meigs operation matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Wertheim–Meigs operation?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Wertheim–Meigs operation.