Author(s)

Beate Senn^1,2, Andrea Kobleder¹, Silvia Raphaelis³, Michael D. Mueller⁴, Beatrice Kammermann⁴, Kathryn White², Manuela Eicher⁵

¹Institute for Applied Nursing Sciences IPW-FHS, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
²Sydney Nursing School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
³Department of Nursing Science, Vienna, Austria.
⁴Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Berne, Switzerland.
⁵School of Health Sciences, University of Applied Arts and Sciences Western Switzerland, Fribourg, Switzerland.

Purpose: Women who are surgically treated for vulvar cancer often have complications leading to substantial patient morbidity. Post-surgical complications could be minimized by the identification of pre-surgical risks for complications and by planned post-surgical interventions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a clinical care algorithm for vulvar cancer to assess risk for complications and prevent and control post-surgical complications. Methods: Key elements of the algorithm were identified via a literature review, structured chart review, a survey of care team members and interviews with stakeholders including healthcare team, patients and their family. Results: An algorithm for the management of wound and psychosocial complications was developed, based on internal and external evidence and was vetted by expert reviewers. Conclusion: Describing the process and defining the roles of health care professionals contributes to purposeful, systematic prevention and treatment of post-surgical complications. The care algorithm provides structured reference points for healthcare professionals with regard to multidisciplinary post-surgical management of vulvar cancer patients.

Vulvar Cancer, Post-Surgical Complications, Care Algorithm, Health Care Professionals

Senn, B. , Kobleder, A. , Raphaelis, S. , Mueller, M. , Kammermann, B. , White, K. and Eicher, M. (2015) Prevention and Reduction of Complications in Women with Vulvar Cancer: Development of an Algorithm for Safer Multidisciplinary Care. Journal of Cancer Therapy, 6, 821-832. doi: 10.4236/jct.2015.610090.