Reconstruction methods in vulvar cancer: a narrative review

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Background : Vulvar cancer is a rare type of cancer that accounts for 1% of all cancers in women and about 3-8% of all gynecological cancers in the world. Although resection of the lesion is the first choice for treatment, reconstructive methods of the vulva have been increasingly used recently. Flaps are most commonly used for this purpose. However, it is important to remember that the reconstruction must be adjusted to the patient's needs, taking into account the geometry of the wound, as well as potential secondary complications.Aim of the study: The aim of this study is to present the different methods of plastic surgery for vulvar cancer, which included V-Y, VRAM, ALT, DIEP and lotus flaps. The following article focuses on describing the above methods, presenting their advantages and disadvantages, in which cases they can be used, and potential complications.Material and methods: The literature review was conducted in the PubMed database. The inclusion criteria used in the review included compliance with topic, publication date after 2015 and English language. Articles of low credibility, duplicated, not in English language and with abstracts unrelated to the topic were excluded. Results: Of the articles found, 32 studies were eventually to be reviewed. The research shows that the choice of reconstruction method can be difficult, while there is no single correct approach in vulvar cancer cases.Conclusions: In summary, the interdisciplinary collaboration between the gynecologist oncologist, the surgeon and the radiotherapist, plays a key role in the treatment process.