Diagnosis of vulvar cancer in Hospital Cologne-Holweide

About the department

The Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Hospital Cologne-Holweide offers top-class medical care for women with diseases of the reproductive system and also provides the full range of obstetric services. The department houses a highly specialized center that admits women with oncologic diseases of the reproductive system such as uterine, cervical, ovarian, and vaginal cancers. The department's team of gynecologists has vast experience in the treatment of gynecologic oncology, as well as all the necessary resources and the very latest treatment methods for complex cancer cases. The department's specialists also diagnose and treat benign gynecologic diseases, including uterine fibroids, endometriosis, urinary incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse. A team of obstetricians delivers more than 1,800 babies every year, regularly dealing with complex pregnancies and multiple pregnancies. The department is one of the largest and best maternity centers in North Rhine-Westphalia. Expectant mothers can anticipate not only highly professional and caring medical staff but also comfortable delivery rooms and cozy patient rooms here. The department is headed by PD Dr. med. Michael Mallmann.

An integral part of the department's clinical practice is the treatment of oncological diseases of the female reproductive system. The doctors at the medical facility give preference to an interdisciplinary approach, so each clinical case is considered at tumor boards with the participation of gynecologists, oncologists, surgeons, radiation therapists, and other specialists. Such an approach allows for the development of the most effective treatment regimen, taking into account the peculiarities of the specific clinical case. The basis of a treatment regimen for uterine, cervical, ovarian, and vulvar cancers is a surgical intervention. Women with advanced cervical cancer undergo a radical hysterectomy, or Wertheim's hysterectomy; uterine cancer requires surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries; and a standard intervention for ovarian cancer is extended uterine extirpation combined with omentectomy (removal of the greater omentum). Vaginal cancer is extremely rare. Patients with this oncological disease most often need tumor resection, but in complex cases, they may require the removal of the entire organ along with the uterus and partial resection of adjacent organs if they are affected. Gynecologic cancer surgery is almost always complemented by chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and other conservative treatments.

Patients with benign gynecologic diseases such as uterine myomas, endometriosis, urinary incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse can also undergo treatment in the department. Conservative treatment can often be successfully conducted for these conditions. For example, uterine myomas and endometriosis are well treated with hormone therapy, and bladder prolapse can be eliminated with therapeutic exercises, electrical stimulation, and drug therapy. However, in some clinical cases, the above-mentioned techniques are ineffective, and surgery is the only treatment option. Surgical interventions for benign gynecologic diseases are performed in the department using minimally traumatic laparoscopic techniques, in most cases on an outpatient basis.

The department's team of obstetricians is responsible for prenatal diagnostics, comprehensive management of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care for both mother and child. At the stage of pregnancy management, expectant mothers are provided with consultations and ultrasound screenings in all trimesters of pregnancy. In addition, invasive tests such as chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis are available in the medical center to exclude congenital malformations in the baby at the stage of intrauterine development. The department has five delivery rooms equipped with comfortable birthing chairs. There is also one room specifically designed for water births. The department's obstetricians give preference to natural childbirth, but if necessary, a C-section may be performed. During labor, the specialists make every effort to alleviate pain, so patients are offered acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, and other methods to ease the childbirth process. 

Premature babies and infants with congenital abnormalities are taken care of within the Level I Perinatal Center. Neonatologists, pediatric surgeons, and pediatricians with various specialties take care of the young patients here. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is located in close proximity to the delivery rooms, enabling immediate assistance in cases of post-birth complications endangering the child's health or life. The Perinatal Center was founded back in 1990, and at that time, only 4 beds were available here. As of today, it has 10 beds, and more than 450 newborns and premature infants, including about 100 babies with a body weight of less than 1,500 grams, receive medical care here. The Perinatal Center has the status of being one of the best and largest in all of Germany.

The department's range of medical services includes:

• Gynecology
  • Diagnostics and treatment of malignant gynecologic diseases
    • Cervical cancer
    • Uterine cancer
    • Ovarian cancer
    • Vaginal cancer
  • Diagnostics and treatment of benign gynecologic diseases
    • Uterine fibroids
    • Endometriosis
    • Pelvic organ prolapse
    • Urinary incontinence
• Obstetrics
  • Prenatal diagnostics
    • Ultrasound examinations in all trimesters of pregnancy
    • Invasive procedures: chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis
  • Comprehensive management of pregnancy
  • Childbirth: natural childbirth, including water birth, and C-section
  • Postpartum care for both mother and child
• Other medical services