title: Postoperative complications after vulvectomy and inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy using separate groin incisions.
abstract: The focus of this study was to document postoperative complications after vulvectomy and inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy using separate incisions. Data from 172 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed carcinoma of the vulva were studied. One hundred and one patients primarily treated with modified radical vulvectomy and complete inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy using separate groin incisions (n = 187) were included in this study. One or more complications were documented in 77 of the 101 (76%) patients. Complications after groin dissection were observed in 66% of the patients. The main complications were wound breakdown (17%) and/or infection (39%) of the groin, lymphocyst formation (40%), and lymphedema (28%). In 98 of 187 (52%) groin dissections, one or more complications were documented. The presence of lymph node metastases, postoperative radiation, age older than 65 years, and removal of the vena saphena magna were not significant risk factors for the occurrence of complications. The occurrence of early complications after groin dissection was significantly related to the late-complication lymphedema (P = 0.002). Our results confirm relatively high rates of wound breakdown, infection, lymphocyst formation, and lymphedema even with separate groin incisions. The occurrence of early complications was related to lymphedema. No other risk factors could be identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands. k.n.gaarenstroom@lumc.nl
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Gaarenstroom
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Kenter
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Trimbos
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Agous
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amant
authors.forename: A A W
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vergote
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007264:Inguinal Canal; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011336:Probability; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents