Total Colpectomy Increases the Risk of Postoperative Hydronephrosis in Vaginal Cancer Patients.

Purpose: Due to the rarity of vaginal cancer, surgical treatment results, and postoperative complications have been poorly described in the literature. The aim of this study was to improve current knowledge about the incidence of hydronephrosis following the surgical treatment of vaginal cancer. Materials and methods: 32 patients with vaginal cancer of the middle and upper third were matched with 32 cervical cancer patients (stages I and II) for comparison of long-term urological postoperative complications. All patients underwent radical surgical treatment and all stage II patients underwent neoadjuvant radiotherapy.

Results

Hydronephrosis had a significantly higher incidence in the vaginal cancer group (p = 0.04), with 14 patients (43.8%) being diagnosed with this complication compared to only 5 patients (15.6%) in the cervical cancer group. Among patients that received radiotherapy, 40.1% (n = 9) and 22.7% ( = 5) of vaginal, respectively cervical cancer patients were found with postoperative hydronephrosis.

Conclusions

In vaginal cancer patients total colpectomy increases the risk of developing postoperative hydronephrosis, especially if neoadjuvant radiotherapy has been applied.