Total vaginectomy for recurrent gynecological cancer: a series of clinical cases

Abstract

Relevance: Treating vaginal recurrence of gynecological cancer remains a complex clinical problem. Surgery is an effective and relatively safe strategy for these cases. Vaginectomy is a method of surgical treatment of gynecological cancer local recurrence. Although vaginectomy is considered an effective treatment for a vaginal recurrence of cervical, ovarian, or endometrial cancers, only a few published reports of vaginal resections have been found. In most cases, vaginal resections were performed by vaginal and/or/or open access. Several reports on laparoscopic vaginal resection for recurrence in gynecological cancer were found.
The aim was to study the effectiveness of vaginectomy in recurrent gynecological cancer.
Methods: Clinical cases of seven patients after vaginectomy were analyzed.
Results: The patients age ranged from 42 to 62 years (median 53 years). The duration of the operation varied from 240 to 480 minutes (median 317 min), the volume of blood loss – from 90 to 220 ml (median 140 ml), and resection margins were negative in all cases. An ureteral catheter was installed in 2 cases. The Foley catheter was removed after 10 days on average (from 1 to 11 days). The patients stayed in the hospital for 7-14 days (median – 7 days). No intraoperative complications were registered. All patients after vaginectomy are alive.
Conclusion: Vaginal recurrence is the most common local recurrence in gynecological cancer, and there is no consensus regarding its treatment tactics. Although this article is somewhat limited in the number of patients, our results show the efficacy of vaginectomy in recurrent vaginal gynecological cancer.