Evaluation of the impact of a protocol for immediate vulvar reconstruction after vulvectomy

Vulvar cancers are usually diagnosed at an advanced stage and require wide surgical resections in the form of vulvectomy. Immediate vulvar reconstruction can potentially reduce the reoperation rate and postoperative complications. With this objective, we introduced a protocol for immediate vulvar reconstruction. This study, five years after its introduction, assesses the impact of this intervention on the postoperative evolution of vulvectomy patients. In January 2017 we introduced a protocol for immediate vulvar reconstruction that considered four criteria of high risk for postoperative dehiscence. Patients who meet the criteria were reconstructed at the time of the vulvectomy. To assess the impact of the protocol, we prospectively registered all included patients over a 5 years period (2017-2022). As a control group, we reviewed the vulvectomised patients at our centre from January 2012 to January 2017 (5 years) who would have met the protocol. No statistically significant differences were found in the epidemiological data (age, diabetes mellitus diagnosis, and obesity diagnosis) or in the tumour characteristics (tumour size). We obtained a statistically significant difference in the incidence of complications and need for reintervention, in favour of the reconstruction group. Our study shows the medical and economic benefits for vulvar cancer patients of immediate vulvar reconstruction.