Reconstructive surgery following resection of primary vulvar cancers

Abstract

Objective. This study describes the surgical treatment and follow-up of 213 patients with primary vulvar cancer; particular attention is given to reconstructive surgical procedures. Methods. The clinical and pathological parameters of the patients were recorded according to standardized procedures, and the data concerning type of operation, surgical reconstruction and postoperative course of disease (recurrence-free and overall survival) were analyzed. Results. In about one-third of the cases, plastic surgery reconstruction involving skin-flaps was performed. In the present group of patients, plastic surgery procedures led to an elevated degree of operability as well as to more satisfactory results in terms of wound healing. For minor cosmetic defects, local (fasciocutaneous) skin-flaps resulted in excellent wound healing and short periods of in-patient treatment, even in patients with larger tumors. In cases exhibiting more severe wounds extending over larger areas of the vulva and its surrounding regions, similarly encouraging results were achieved using regional (myocutaneous) skin-flaps. Conclusion. The present study shows that reconstructive surgery of the vulva leads to good results in patients with vulvar cancer. Plastic surgery enlarges the spectrum of available operative therapy in vulvar cancer, especially in large tumors, and its application leads to a favorable oncological outcome as well as excellent cosmetic results in patients with vulvar cancer.