Vulvectomy is a surgery in which doctors remove all or part of the vulva, the female outer genitals. It can stop the growth of cancerous or precancerous cells.
Depending on the size and location of the tumor and the stage of the cancer, your doctor may remove only a small amount of tissue from the vulva. Or, they may remove deeper tissue and lymph nodes.
The goal of any vulvectomy is to get rid of the cancer and preserve sexual function and the ability to pass urine and stool.
In a vulvectomy, doctors remove cancerous tumors or precancerous spots from the vulva, the external female genitals. Depending on the size, location, and stage of cancer, surgeons may need to remove the entire vulva or part of it.
Areas of the vulva that surgeons may remove during a vulvectomy include:
From least to most tissue affected, vulvectomies include:
Your medical provider may recommend a vulvectomy if you have vulvar cancer or precancer.
Small tumors or precancerous spots are more likely to be treated with a wide local excision or a partial vulvectomy. Larger tumors or more advanced cancers may need a simple or radical vulvectomy. The goal of any vulvectomy is to remove the cancer and preserve sexual function and the ability to pass urine and stool.
You may be a candidate for a vulvectomy if you have vulvar cancer, can tolerate general anesthesia, and are otherwise healthy so your body can recover from surgery.
For women who have high-risk conditions that make surgery unsafe, doctors will likely recommend chemotherapy or radiation to shrink or eliminate the cancer.
Depending on the size and stage of your cancer, your doctor may suggest an extra surgery that removes lymph nodes. If you have a condition that makes surgery unsafe, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy or radiation instead.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells.
Doctors may recommend chemotherapy instead of surgery if the size or location of your cancer makes it difficult to remove. Chemotherapy can also be used after a vulvectomy.
Cancer uses lymph nodes as a path to spread to other tissues or organs. This surgery removes the lymph nodes from the groin to prevent that from happening.
Typically, surgeons only remove lymph nodes on the same side as the cancer.
After surgery, you may need a drain for a few days to remove excess fluid from the area around the incision.
Lymph node dissection is often done along with a vulvectomy in later-stage cancers.
Doctors consider this surgery a last resort. They only use it in patients whose cancer has spread, returns after treatment, or doesn’t respond to radiation or chemotherapy.
Pelvic exenteration involves removing several organs from the pelvis. The recovery is very difficult.
Uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. With radiation, doctors can precisely target the tumor without destroying nearby healthy tissue.
Care teams may recommend radiation instead of surgery if the size or location of your cancer would make it difficult to remove. Radiation therapy can also be used after a vulvectomy.
Reconstruction surgery is necessary after some vulvectomies.
In this surgery, doctors use a piece of skin from another part of the body, called a skin graft, or a flap of tissue from another part of the body to cover the wound. This can help it to heal properly.
This procedure may help avoid a full inguinal lymph node dissection. It removes only the lymph nodes that drain the area where the cancer is.
To find the correct lymph nodes, doctors inject a dye into the tumor. They then follow its path to the lymph node or nodes that are most likely to be affected by the disease.
Vulvectomy has a wide range of short and long-term side effects. Your side effects will depend on how much tissue doctors removed during surgery and how well your body recovers.
Short-term side effects include:
Long-term side effects include:
To determine what type of vulvectomy is best for you, your provider will likely use an exam, imaging, and/or biopsy.
A vulvectomy usually takes place in a hospital under general anesthesia. You may need to fast or stop certain medications in the hours or days before your procedure. Your care team will give you specific instructions during a preoperative appointment.
The length of your surgery will depend on the type of vulvectomy. A vulvar cancer excision may take less than an hour. A radical complete vulvectomy and lymph node removal could take several hours.
You will also need to spend time in recovery. Many patients are able to go home after a vulvectomy. Some vulvectomies may require a night or two in the hospital.
Vulvectomies are usually performed in a hospital under general or regional anesthesia. (A vulvar cancer excision may be done with local anesthesia.)
General anesthesia affects your entire body. You are not awake during the surgery, and doctors use a special airway device to help you breathe. Side effects, such as nausea and drowsiness, are possible.
Regional anesthesia is usually a spinal block, or epidural, which numbs you from the waist down. You will be awake and able to breathe on your own. Regional anesthesia is typically only used for patients who can’t tolerate general anesthesia.
Recovery after a vulvectomy can take four to six weeks or more. During this time, it's important to follow your doctor’s instructions closely.
Doctors typically tell their patients to:
Anatomical and sexual changes can happen after a vulvectomy.
The vulva, particularly the clitoris, is an important part of female pleasure. It may be difficult for some women who have had a vulvectomy to reach orgasm. Also, scar tissue from a vulvectomy can make the vaginal opening smaller, causing pain during sex.
You should speak to your doctor if you experience sexual changes.
Recovery from surgery can be taxing on the body and the mind, particularly for women who have a prolonged recovery or sexual side effects. Your doctor may recommend therapy to help with emotional struggles.
Infection and blood clots are possible after a vulvectomy.
You should call your doctor if you have symptoms of an infection or blood clot, including:
Lymphedema is also a possible complication after a vulvectomy. It occurs when one or both legs swell with the fluid that the removed lymph nodes would have drained. According to a study in Medicine, 3 in 10 women who survive vulvar cancer will develop lymphedema.
You should call your doctor if you notice the following symptoms:
According to the National Cancer Institute, the survival rate after surgery for vulvar cancer depends on whether the cancer has reached the lymph nodes. For women whose cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes, the survival rate is 90%. For women whose cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate is 50%.
If you need a vulvectomy, you can count on the care at UPMC. At UPMC, you can expect:
By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2026-08-11.
