What are the benefits and risks of intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy?

Generally, pelvic irrigation offers several benefits, including promoting the absorption of pelvic inflammatory lesions, reducing pelvic tissue edema, improving pelvic blood circulation, aiding in the resolution of pelvic effusion, and alleviating pelvic adhesions. However, potential adverse effects include irritation of pelvic organs, causing lower abdominal heaviness or pressure, disrupting the vaginal microbiota, exacerbating menstrual discomfort, and inducing secondary pelvic congestion. A detailed analysis follows:

I. Benefits

1. Promoting Absorption of Pelvic Inflammation
Pelvic irrigation delivers medications directly to the site of pelvic pathology, enabling active drug components to act locally on inflamed tissues. This accelerates the metabolism and elimination of inflammatory substances, hastens resolution of pelvic inflammation, and supports improvement of inflammatory pelvic conditions.

2. Reducing Pelvic Tissue Edema
The irrigating solution penetrates deep into pelvic tissues, relieving compression on soft pelvic structures and improving stasis of interstitial fluid. Gradually, this alleviates pelvic congestion and edema, thereby easing sensations of pelvic fullness or discomfort.

3. Improving Pelvic Blood Circulation
Targeted infusion of therapeutic solutions helps unblock congested pelvic vasculature, enhances local blood flow velocity, ameliorates pelvic blood stasis, and maintains normal metabolic circulation within the pelvis.

4. Assisting Resolution of Pelvic Effusion
Specialized irrigation solutions possess anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties, facilitating the metabolism and reabsorption of excess exudative fluid within the pelvis, reducing fluid accumulation, gradually resolving small amounts of pelvic effusion, and stabilizing the intra-pelvic microenvironment.

5. Alleviating Pelvic Adhesions
The infused solution permeates the spaces between pelvic organs, softening mildly adherent fibrous tissue and inhibiting progressive thickening or proliferation of adhesions, thereby mitigating discomfort associated with mild pelvic adhesions.

II. Adverse Effects

1. Irritation of Pelvic Organs
Inappropriate control of irrigation pressure may compress pelvic organs such as the uterus and fallopian tubes, triggering transient stress responses in organ tissues and resulting in bodily discomfort.

2. Inducing Lower Abdominal Heaviness or Pressure
The irrigation procedure temporarily alters intrapelvic volume and elevates intra-pelvic pressure. Most individuals experience mild lower abdominal heaviness or pressure; those with heightened sensitivity may perceive more pronounced discomfort.

3. Disrupting Vaginal Microbiota
During the procedure, instruments pass through the vagina, causing minor perturbation of the vaginal microenvironment and disturbing the natural microbial balance—potentially increasing susceptibility to genital tract inflammation.

4. Exacerbating Menstrual Discomfort
Performing pelvic irrigation during the premenstrual phase or menstruation may cause persistent stimulation of pelvic tissues, leading to increased menstrual flow, prolonged menses, and intensified dysmenorrhea.

5. Inducing Secondary Pelvic Congestion
Frequent pelvic irrigation repeatedly stimulates pelvic mucosal tissues, resulting in chronic pelvic congestion, impairing the pelvis’s intrinsic capacity for self-repair, and hindering recovery of pelvic health.

In addition, pelvic irrigation must be performed by qualified healthcare professionals, strictly indicated and tailored to individual clinical needs. In daily life, maintaining proper perineal hygiene and protection, adhering to a healthy sleep-wake schedule and a light, balanced diet, resting adequately during pelvic treatment, and minimizing physical exertion all contribute significantly to pelvic tissue recovery.