Surgical treatment of vulvar cancer with radical vulvectomy in Albertinen Hospital Hamburg

About the department

The Department of Adult and Pediatric Gynecology, Mammology and Obstetrics at the Albertinen Hospital Hamburgprovides the full range of medical services for the treatment of all diseases of the female reproductive system and mammary glands. The department's specialists also provide high quality obstetric services. The key focus of the department's clinical practice is on the treatment of gynecological cancers, including uterine, cervical, ovarian and breast malignancies. The department's doctors widely use modern sparing treatment methods – minimally invasive da Vinci robot-assisted surgery, laser therapy, ultrasound treatment, etc. The department's medical team also specializes in the treatment of uterine fibroids and endometriosis. The department is certified by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in the field of surgical treatment of gynecological diseases, which prevent conception. The department observes current clinical protocols and recommendations of the professional societies, which guarantees an optimal treatment result. The department is headed by PD Dr. med. Enikö Berkes.

The focus of the department's gynecologists is on the patients with cancers. The department performs more than 3,500 surgical interventions every year, most of which are operations to remove uterine, cervical, ovarian and breast malignancies. The first step on the way to recovery is comprehensive diagnostics using progressive imaging systems, which allow the attending physician to determine the stage of the malignant process, the size of the tumor, its exact location, etc. The next stage is an interdisciplinary tumor board, during which the specialists elaborate the optimal treatment regimen for each patient individually. As a rule, the basis of the treatment is the resection of a malignant tumor. Depending on the particular clinical case, the surgical treatment is complemented by chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy and other effective treatment methods aimed at the complete destruction of cancer cells. It is worth noting that the department's progressive technical base allows the doctors to successfully cope with malignancies without radical interventions. The team of the department's gynecologists most often performs minimally invasive robot-assisted interventions using the da Vinci Surgical System, which is an innovation in modern surgery. This technique is successfully applied even in particularly complex clinical cases. For example, the department uses the da Vinci Surgical System for hysterectomy, including with the simultaneous removal of lymph nodes. The innovative technique allows the doctors to perform all surgical procedures with millimeter accuracy, without damaging healthy adjacent tissues. The robot-assisted surgery requires only a few small incisions, which practically reduces the risk of severe bleeding, infection and other complications to zero. In addition, such an operation eliminates severe pain after surgery and the formation of large scars on the skin.

An equally important focus of the department's doctors is on the treatment of breast cancer. In the case of breast cancer, the patient requires the surgical resection of the neoplasm, while in especially complex cases the doctors have to resort to total mastectomy. The surgery is complemented by chemotherapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy. The treatment strategy for each patient is thought out individually, which increases the chances of a successful treatment outcome. Whenever possible, the department's specialists give preference to breast-conserving surgery. The department's patients are also provided with competent psychological care.

The department provides diagnostics and treatment of all types of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Conservative methods are the first-line therapy. They include special physical exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, drug therapy, electrical stimulation, the use of pessaries, etc. If conservative treatment is ineffective, the department's doctors resort to surgery. The department successfully performs TVT sling interventions, Burch colposuspension, injection therapy with Bulkamid hydrogel and Botox, laparoscopic sacral colpopexy and other surgical procedures.

The department is also the Level II Perinatal Center, where more than 3,100 babies are born annually. The department's obstetricians apply all their clinical experience and medical knowledge to provide every woman with safe childbirth and minimal pain. The department has 6 delivery rooms equipped with obstetric beds, obstetric chairs, mats, relaxation baths and other necessary things. If desired, childbirth in water is possible. The design of each delivery room is carefully thought out and consistent with a particular theme, which allows expectant mothers to feel as comfortable as possible. After childbirth, the newborn baby and mother receive appropriate care from the competent professionals in their field.

The department's range of medical services includes:

• Gynecology
  • Diagnostics and treatment of oncological diseases of the female reproductive system
    • Uterine cancer
    • Cervical cancer
    • Ovarian cancer
    • Vaginal cancer
  • Diagnostics and treatment of benign gynecological diseases
    • Uterine fibroids
    • Endometriosis
    • Cervical dysplasia
    • Anomalies in the development of the female reproductive system, including in children (for example, imperforate hymen, total or partial vaginal aplasia, Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome)
  • Surgical interventions to eliminate gynecological diseases that prevent the conception
    • Diagnostic hysteroscopy and laparoscopy
    • Surgical refertilization after artificial fallopian tube obstruction, including minimally invasive interventions
    • Reconstructive interventions on the fallopian tubes after their affection with the inflammatory process
    • Reconstructive cervical interventions after C-section
    • Removal of pathological foci of the endometrium
    • Surgery to eliminate pelvic adhesions
    • Surgery to remove uterine fibroids, including uterine artery embolization
    • Surgical treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome
    • Surgery to correct malformations of the female reproductive system
    • Surgery to treat adenomyosis
• Urogynecology
  • Diagnostics and treatment of all types of urinary incontinence in women
  • Diagnostics and treatment of pelvic organ prolapse
• Mammology
  • Diagnostics and treatment of breast cancer
    • Breast surgery for malignancy removal
    • Chemotherapy
    • Hormone therapy
    • Immunotherapy
• Obstetrics
  • Integrated management of pregnancy
  • Childbirth (natural childbirth and C-section)
  • Postpartum care for mother and baby
• Other medical services