Clitoral reconstruction procedure developed for vulvar cancer patients
Medical researchers have developed a new surgical technique to reconstruct the clitoris for patients undergoing vulvar cancer surgery. Initial results show a 90% success rate in restoring sexual function and sensation for patients.
Why it matters
This represents a significant advancement in gynecologic oncology, prioritizing patient quality of life and sexual health alongside cancer treatment.
A novel surgical technique has been shown to restore the clitoris during vulvar cancer surgery.
For women who lose part of their clitoris because of vulvar cancer, a clitoral reconstruction procedure has now been developed for the first time. This comes 40 years after the first penile reconstruction surgery. Results in the initial group of patients are encouraging.
Surgery for vulvar cancer can save lives, but it can also significantly affect a woman’s sexual function and quality of life. “When the tumor is located in or around the clitoris, we sometimes have to remove part of it”, explains gynecologic oncologist Mieke ten Eikelder from Radboudumc. “Until now, the wound was simply closed afterward, and the clitoris disappeared beneath a layer of skin, with little attention paid to quality of life or whether orgasm would still be possible.”
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