Second-look laparotomy (SLL) was performed after chemotherapy in 106 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. Thirteen were stage I and II and 93 stage III and IV. Seventy-eight patients received cisplatin-based regimens. Median follow-up was 60 months. Negative SLL was found in 32 patients who had a 5-year survival rate of 43.4% after SLO. Microscopy residual disease was present in 9 patients whose 5-year survival rate was 25%. Maximum residual tumor of 2 cm or less was found in 13 patients with 5-year survival rate of 30%. Residual tumor larger than 2 cm after secondary cytoreduction was present in 21 patients, their 3-year survival rate was 18.3%. Eighteen patients with bulky residual disease who did not have cytoreduction were all dead within 17 months. Patients with initial residual tumor at first laparotomy less than 2 cm had a near significant advantage in survival rate over patients with residual disease greater than 2 cm and stage IV (p = 0.07). Non-responders to initial chemotherapy had a survival rate similar to that of partial-responders. These findings justify discontinuation of conventional systemic chemotherapy for patients showing residual disease after SLL and secondary tumor removal in case of residual tumor at SLL. Therapeutic trials are needed in advanced ovarian cancer testing initial aggressive surgery or early debulking to avoid bulky residual disease and consolidation therapy in patients who achieved complete pathological response or minimal residual intraperitoneal disease.