The stage and tumor remnants after radical surgery are the most important prognostic factors in patients with ovarian cancer. Because the incidence of ovarian cancer is highest in elderly women, and mostly advanced stages occur, radical surgery is necessary in this population as well as in younger patients. Age and the surgeon's expertise are the factors that influence the quality of surgical treatment of ovarian cancer. Surgical treatment of ovarian cancer should therefore be confined to centers with the required infrastructure and expertise.