Croatian Surgeon Sets European ‘Golden Standard’

Surgical treatment of vulvar cancer, which is one of the toughest and most comprehensive gynecological surgeries, has been made half as difficult thanks to a Croatian doctor and his team from the Petrova hospital in the Croatian capital Zagreb.

“The old technique of surgery, a butterfly cut, included the removal of the entire vulva, groin and skin tissue and lymph nodes in the groin, which for patients meant a long and difficult recovery after the operation. The procedure lasted up to four hours”, said Dr. Corusic, who says he was motivated to try to develop a less invasive method of surgery that would have the same effect.

Now we remove the lymph nodes, without removing the inguinal skin, and then the tumor, and the healthy tissue of the vulva remains intact – explains Dr. Corusic to Vecernji list. This operation is now shortened to an hour and a half, and only involves a cut in the groin, through which only the “attacked” lymph node on one side is removed with a 10cm cut.”