This research study is a prospective, randomized trial. Women who are suspected to have an early or late stage ovarian cancer during their preoperative evaluation will be potential study participants. Only patients with documented ovarian cancer by histologic examination at the time of the cytoreductive or staging surgery, and that are also undergoing omentectomy and/or recto-sigmoid colon resection will be eligible for participation. Patients who are eligible for participation and who are willing to participate will be randomized during the surgical procedure to standard surgical resection using clamps and surgical ligatures versus resection using the FDA-approved LIGASURE device during omentectomy and resection of the recto-sigmoid portion of the colon. The resection of these tissues will be performed as part of the usual surgical protocol for women with ovarian cancer and will not be done so unless the tissues are the sites of metastatic disease or if their removal would be performed for staging purposes.
