Utilizing V—Y fasciocutaneous advancement flaps for vulvar reconstruction

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to analyze the outcomes of patients who underwent vulvectomy with subsequent V—Y fasciocutaneous flap reconstruction. METHODS: All medical records of all patients who underwent vulvectomies with V—Y fasciocutaneous flap reconstruction from January 2007 to June 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Patient clinical and surgical data, demographics, and outcomes were abstracted. RESULTS: Of the 27 patients, 42 flaps were transferred. A simple vulvectomy was performed in 8 (30%) patients, partial radical vulvectomy in 15 (56%), and radical vulvectomy in 4 (15%). The median area of defect was 30 cm(2). Minor wound separations occurred in 9 patients (33%). Infectious complications occurred in 4 patients (15%); this included urinary tract infections in 2 (50%), postoperative fevers in 2 (50%), and sepsis in 1 (25%) patient with a UTI. There were no instances of flap necrosis, wound dehiscence, or wound infections. Black race was more likely to be associated with an infectious complication with 3 (75%) patients, compared to white race with 1 (4%) patient (p < .01). The presence of diabetes was more likely to be associated with an infectious complication in 2 (67%) patients, compared to 1 (4%) in non-diabetic patients (p < .01). No other significant association was found during analysis of demographics, medical comorbidities, vulvar pathology, or surgical factors affecting V—Y fasciocutaneous flap infectious complications or minor wound separations. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a V—Y fasciocutaneous advancement flap for vulvar reconstruction is safe and associated with mostly minor complications. Infectious complications were more frequently associated with diabetes, black race, and HIV.