The procedure was performed on a 39-year-old woman diagnosed with vulvar cancer, a pathology with a low incidence compared to other gynecological cancers.
It was a day in February 2023 when, at the Clínica Internacional de Alta Tecnología, Clinaltec, in Ibagué, a surgery was performed that will undoubtedly go down in history. This is the first inguinofemoral lymphatic emptying by endoscopy in Tolima.
The surgery was performed by doctors Abel Merchán and Angélica Fletcher, members of Clinaltec's Gynecologic Oncology unit.The study was carried out on a 39-year-old woman diagnosed with vulvar cancer, a pathology with a low incidence compared to other gynecological cancers.
"The patient had a diagnosis of early stage squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. Initially, a surgical resection had been performed at first, and the pathology revealed an infiltrating tumor," explained Dr. Merchán.
He added: "since it was a midline tumor, she was considered a candidate for bilateral inguinofemoral lymphatic drainage, which is to drain the lymph nodes located in the groin area".
This surgery, according to Dr. Merchán, is performed by open surgery. However, With new technologies, endoscopic surgery has been explored, which lasts approximately four to five hours.
"Several of these procedures have already been performed in the country. The first one was performed at the National Cancer Institute, but as far as we are aware, this is the first time in the region that this type of procedure has been carried out."he assured.
However, although more surgeries like this one have been recorded, they are not very frequent, since the pathology that indicates it is usually very rare.
"The procedure is not very often indicated, because the pathology is usually rare, but the benefit it (endoscopy or minimally invasive approach) has for patients is to avoid wound complications, less percentage of lymphedema, which is the swelling of the legs after lymphatic emptying in the groin, less postoperative pain and fewer infections of the operative site," he pointed out.
On the other hand, the gyneco-oncologist asserted that the patient has had a good evolution and has not presented any complications associated with the procedure.The procedure is ambulatory, that is, it does not require hospitalization.
It was thus on a February day in 2023 that Clinaltec became history.The first inguinofemoral lymphatic emptying by endoscopy in Tolima was performed by the first inguinofemoral lymphatic emptying by endoscopy in Tolima.
English 
Español de Colombia 