Omentectomy

March 11, 2026

This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by Barbara Buttin, M.D., gynecologic oncologist and associate clinical professor, Department of Surgery, City of Hope^® Cancer Center Chicago.

An omentectomy is a surgery to remove some or all of the omentum, which is a large layer of fatty tissue inside the abdomen. The omentum is not an organ, but it comes into contact with several organs inside the abdominal cavity. Omentectomy is used to diagnose and treat certain types of cancer.

What Is an Omentectomy?

Doctors may recommend an omentectomy as a treatment for some cancer types — in particular, ovarian cancer — or to help determine a cancer’s stage. This is because cancer that begins in the ovaries or other organs in the abdomen may spread to the tissue that makes up the omentum.

Why Would Omentum Removal Be Needed?

An omentectomy is typically performed during a debulking surgery, where the cancer has spread to the omentum.

During an omentectomy, surgeons remove part or all of the omentum, which covers the organs inside the abdomen like an apron. Omentectomy may be performed:

• To treat cancer that has spread to the omentum
• To prevent an existing cancer from spreading to the omentum
• To take a tissue sample that can be tested to see if cancer has spread to the omentum or not

The most common cancer types that spread to the omentum are:

• Ovarian or fallopian tube cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Endometrial (uterine) cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Appendiceal cancer

Partial Omentectomy

A partial omentectomy is surgery to remove part of the omentum. Doctors may recommend a partial omentectomy if a patient’s cancer is at an earlier stage and there is a chance that a tumor can be removed in full without removing all of the omentum.

Total Omentectomy

A total omentectomy is surgery to remove all of the omentum. This may be necessary if cancer has already spread to multiple sites within the omentum. It may also be recommended as a preventive treatment for patients with later-stage or more aggressive cancer types.

Recovery

After an omentectomy, most patients spend a few days recovering in a hospital before returning home. Recovery times may vary depending on several factors, including what type of surgical technique was used (open surgery or laparoscopic surgery, which is less invasive), whether the procedure was a partial or total omentectomy and a patient’s overall health. Recovery from an omentectomy is typically part of the recovery from a debulking surgery.

Complications

Some patients who undergo an omentectomy may experience certain complications. Common short-term side effects include:

• Bleeding during or after surgery
• Infection at the site of the surgery
• Damage to organs in area where the surgery took place

If treated quickly, these complications resolve within days to weeks. A small number of patients report longer-term side effects, such as:

• Hernias, which happen when a small part of an internal organ pushes through the muscle inside the abdomen and creates an uncomfortable bump visible on the surface of the skin
• Scar tissue in the abdomen, causing a blockage in the small intestine that prevents normal bowel movements

These complications may require treatment by a specialist.