What Is Normal Healing After Vulvar Cancer Surgery and What Needs a Prompt Call

Day five after surgery, a hand mirror balanced on the edge of the bathtub, and a question that nobody quite prepared you for: is that yellowish film on the wound edge something to worry about, or is it just what healing skin looks like down there? The discharge leaflet said “call if you notice anything unusual.” Everything feels unusual.

This is the gap most people fall into after vulvar surgery: when to call the doctor is rarely spelled out in enough detail, so small worries either get swallowed for a week or turn into three anxious phone calls a day. Neither serves you well.

The vulva heals in its own way. It is warm, moist, constantly in motion and close to the bladder and bowel, which means ordinary recovery can look alarming to someone who has never seen it before. What follows is an honest map of what is typical, what is not, and how to tell the difference without guessing.

What actually happens during vulvar cancer surgery

The vulva is the external genital area: the outer and inner lips (labia), the clitoris, the opening of the vagina and the skin around the urethra. Vulvar cancer most often starts in the skin of the labia, and surgery aims to remove the tumor with a rim of healthy tissue around it.

How much tissue is removed depends on the size and position of the cancer. A wide local excision takes the tumor plus a margin of normal skin. A partial vulvectomy removes a larger section of the vulva, and a radical vulvectomy removes the whole vulva and some deeper tissue. The National Cancer Institute’s treatment summary describes these options and notes that surgeons now try to remove as little tissue as safely possible while still clearing the cancer.

Because vulvar cancer can travel first to the lymph nodes in the groin (the small bean-shaped filters that drain fluid from the legs and genitals), many operations include node surgery. A sentinel lymph node biopsy uses a tracer to find the first node or two the tumor drains to, then removes only those for testing. An inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy removes a fuller group of groin nodes when the team judges that necessary.

Larger wounds are sometimes closed using a flap, a section of nearby skin and tissue moved across to cover the gap. Thin plastic drains may be left in the groin to carry fluid away for days afterward. A urinary catheter (a soft tube draining the bladder) is common in the first days so that urine does not sit on fresh stitches.

Knowing which of these you had matters, because a small excision and a radical vulvectomy with node removal have quite different “normal” recoveries. If you are unsure, ask your team to write it down.

Who is usually offered surgery, and who is usually asked to wait

Surgery is the most common first treatment for vulvar cancer that has not spread beyond the vulva and nearby lymph nodes, and it is also used for high-grade precancerous changes in the vulvar skin. Mayo Clinic and the National Cancer Institute both describe surgery as the mainstay for early disease, with radiation and chemotherapy added when nodes are involved or margins are close.

Not everyone goes straight to the operating room. When a tumor sits very close to the urethra or anus, removing it completely might damage bladder or bowel control, so the team may recommend chemotherapy with radiation first to shrink it, or as the main treatment instead. That is not a lesser option; it is a different route weighed against your anatomy and your priorities.

Some people are asked to wait for reasons unrelated to the cancer itself:

• An active skin or urinary infection, which raises the risk that the wound will break down.
• Blood sugar that is running high, because uncontrolled diabetes slows healing.
• Blood-thinning medicines that need a planned pause or bridging, decided by the prescribing clinician, never by the patient alone.
• Anemia or poor nutrition that would leave less reserve for recovery.
• Smoking, which narrows small blood vessels in the skin; teams often ask for a stop, and offer support, before elective surgery.

Age by itself is not a barrier. Fitness, other health conditions and what you want from treatment carry more weight. Whatever the pathway, the decision about timing and type of operation sits with your treating team, ideally after a discussion where you have been able to ask what each choice means for healing, sensation and daily life.

Vulvectomy recovery time: what the first days usually look like

The first few days are about drainage, swelling and learning to move. Most people wake up with a catheter, sometimes one or two groin drains, and dressings that are lighter than they expected. The vulva swells noticeably; bruising can spread down the inner thighs and look purple, then green, then yellow over the following week. That color change is old blood being cleared, not new bleeding.

Pain is real but usually manageable and tends to be worst when sitting upright or moving from lying to standing. Many people find lying on one side or reclining more comfortable than sitting squarely on the wound. Nurses will encourage short walks early, partly to protect the lungs and partly to reduce clot risk in the legs.

Fluid is normal. Expect thin, pale pink or straw-colored drainage onto pads, and expect the groin drains to fill with similar fluid. Numbness across the wound and inner thigh is common because small skin nerves are cut during surgery; sensation returns slowly and unevenly, sometimes with tingling or a crawling feeling as nerves regrow.

How long recovery takes depends heavily on the extent of surgery. The NHS notes that recovery from a vulvectomy can take several weeks and that some people need longer, particularly after lymph node removal. Wide local excision often heals faster; radical surgery with a flap and groin dissection is a longer road measured in months rather than weeks. Your team will give you a range based on your operation, and it will be an estimate, not a deadline.

One practical note: rest matters, but so does gentle movement. Long periods completely still increase clot risk and stiffness, while overdoing it can pull on the wound. Short, frequent walks around the house strike the balance most teams recommend.

How long does vulvar inflammation last after surgery?

Redness, warmth and puffiness around a fresh wound are not by themselves a problem. They are the visible side of the body’s repair sequence, and understanding that sequence takes some fear out of the mirror.

MedlinePlus describes healing in overlapping stages. First comes clotting and the inflammatory phase, when blood flow to the area increases and immune cells arrive to clear debris and bacteria. This is when the wound looks its angriest: pink to red edges, warmth, swelling and clear or slightly yellow fluid. It typically dominates the first few days. Next is the rebuilding phase, when new tissue and tiny blood vessels fill the wound base, which can look bumpy, shiny and deep red. Finally comes remodeling, when scar tissue slowly softens and fades over months.

So the honest answer to “how long does vulvar inflammation last” is: the early, obvious inflammation usually settles over the first week or two as the rebuilding phase takes over, but firmness, tenderness and mild swelling can linger for weeks, and scars keep changing for many months. Vulvar tissue is loose and richly supplied with blood, so it swells more than, say, a forearm, and it drains fluid downward toward the perineum rather than away.

What distinguishes healthy inflammation from trouble is direction of travel. Normal redness stays close to the wound edge and slowly shrinks. Warmth eases. Swelling is roughly symmetrical and improves after a night lying down. Concerning inflammation spreads outward day by day, feels hotter, becomes tense and shiny, or comes with fever and increasing pain. If you are unsure, tracing the red border with a washable marker or taking a daily photo in the same light gives you and your nurse something concrete to compare.

After vulvar surgery, when to call the doctor: a side-by-side table

People rarely need a longer leaflet; they need a clearer line. This table sets what is usually part of healing next to what deserves a same-day call. It is a guide for deciding when to pick up the phone, not a tool for diagnosing yourself, and your team’s own instructions take priority.

What you notice	Usually part of normal healing	Call your team promptly
Drainage	Thin, pink or straw-colored, decreasing over days	Thick yellow-green pus, foul smell, or drainage that suddenly increases
Redness	Narrow pink band along the edge that slowly shrinks	Redness spreading outward, hot to touch, streaking up the groin or thigh
Pain	Steady or easing, worse with sitting, relieved by prescribed measures	Pain that climbs after days of improvement, or pain out of proportion to the wound
Swelling	Soft, roughly symmetrical, better after lying down	Tense, one-sided, rapidly growing, or a new firm lump in the groin
Temperature	Feeling warm in the evening without a measured fever	100.4°F (38°C) or higher, chills or shaking
Wound edges	Slight gaping of a small area with clean pink base	Wide separation, exposed deeper tissue, grey or black areas
Bleeding	Spotting on the pad, especially after a bowel movement	Bright red bleeding that soaks a pad within an hour or will not stop with pressure
Urine	Stinging as urine passes over the wound	Unable to pass urine, or urine that is cloudy and foul-smelling with fever
Legs	Mild general puffiness that improves with elevation	One calf swollen, painful or warm compared with the other

The fever threshold comes from MedlinePlus guidance on surgical wound infection, which treats a measured temperature of 100.4°F or higher as a reason to contact the surgeon. Everything in the right-hand column is a phone call, not a wait-and-see. Breathlessness, chest pain or heavy bleeding that will not stop are emergencies and belong in the last section of this article.

Why vulvar wounds sometimes open, and what happens next

Wound separation, which surgeons call dehiscence, is one of the most distressing things to discover after vulvar surgery and one of the least surprising to the people who care for these wounds. The vulva is a difficult place for stitches to hold. Skin edges are constantly stretched by walking, sitting and using the toilet. The area is moist and warm, and it sits inches from the bowel, so bacteria are always nearby. Where the groin has been operated on, the natural skin fold traps sweat and fluid.

Both Mayo Clinic and the National Cancer Institute list wound complications, including poor healing and infection, among the recognized risks of vulvectomy and groin node surgery. A small area of gaping with a clean pink base is often managed simply: the team may leave it to close from the bottom up (healing by secondary intention) with regular cleansing and light dressings. It takes longer than a closed wound, sometimes many weeks, but it usually heals well.

What you can do at home is limited but meaningful. Keep the area clean with plain water, pat rather than rub, and let air reach the skin when you can. Avoid sitting for long stretches directly on the wound. Do not pack, probe or apply creams unless your team has told you to. Loose cotton underwear and skirts or wide-leg trousers reduce friction.

An opening wound is not automatically an infected wound, and it is not something you caused by moving too much or too little. It is a reason to be seen, not a reason to feel ashamed. Larger separations, exposed deeper tissue, grey or black skin at the edges, or any separation with fever or pus should be reported the same day, because the plan for those may involve wound therapy, antibiotics chosen by the team, or occasionally a return to theater.

Signs of infection after vulvectomy versus ordinary redness

Every surgical wound carries some bacteria; infection is when they overwhelm local defenses and the tissue responds. In the vulva the usual form is cellulitis, an infection of the skin and the layer beneath it, and it announces itself with a fairly consistent pattern.

The early pink border widens into a spreading red area that feels hot and tight. Pain, which had been easing, climbs again. Swelling becomes firm rather than soft. Drainage may turn thick, cloudy, yellow or green, and it may smell unpleasant in a way that is different from the ordinary musky scent of healing tissue in a warm place. Fever and chills often follow. MedlinePlus lists exactly these features, along with a temperature of 100.4°F or higher, as reasons to contact the surgeon.

Groin incisions deserve particular attention because fluid collections there can become infected, producing a tender, hot swelling in the crease of the leg. Urinary infections are also more common in the first weeks, especially after a catheter, so burning that persists beyond the first passing of urine, cloudy urine, or needing to go urgently and often are worth reporting.

What infection is not: a single warm evening without a measured fever, mild itching, a thin yellow film of fibrin (a protein the body lays down as scaffolding) on a clean wound base, or stinging when urine touches raw skin.

If your team suspects infection they may take a swab, examine the wound and prescribe antibiotics. Which antibiotic, for how long, and whether the wound needs opening are decisions for them. Leftover antibiotics at home should not be started on your own initiative; the wrong choice can mask a picture your team needs to see clearly, and some infections here involve organisms that ordinary courses will not touch.

Lymphedema after vulvar cancer surgery and groin fluid collections

Two swelling problems can follow lymph node removal, and they behave differently. Telling them apart helps you describe what you are feeling.

A seroma is a pocket of clear lymph fluid that collects in the space where nodes were removed. It often appears in the first weeks, sometimes after drains come out, as a soft, movable swelling in the groin crease. Many are absorbed on their own; some are drained with a needle by the team; a few become infected, which is why a seroma that turns hot, red or painful needs a same-day call.

Lymphedema is a longer-term condition. Lymph normally flows from the legs and genitals through the groin nodes back toward the heart. When nodes are removed or irradiated, that drainage can be permanently reduced, and fluid builds up in the leg, lower abdomen or vulva itself. Cleveland Clinic notes that lymphedema after cancer treatment can appear months or even years later, not only in the immediate recovery period, and that early recognition makes it easier to manage.

Early lymphedema rarely looks dramatic. People describe heaviness, tightness in a shoe or waistband, a leg that aches by evening, or skin that keeps the dent when pressed. Mayo Clinic lists lymphedema among the main long-term risks of groin node surgery for vulvar cancer, which is one reason sentinel node biopsy is preferred when the team judges it safe.

There is no way to guarantee it will not develop, but sensible habits reduce strain on a compromised system: keeping skin moisturized and intact, treating cuts and insect bites on the affected side promptly, avoiding very tight clothing at the groin, and staying active. If swelling appears, ask about referral to a lymphedema therapist, who can fit compression garments and teach manual drainage techniques. Compression should be fitted by a professional rather than improvised, because ill-fitting garments can worsen the problem.

Bladder, bowels, blood clots and pain control in the first weeks

Three ordinary functions become surprisingly complicated when the vulva is healing, and one silent risk runs alongside them.

Urination stings when urine crosses raw tissue. Pouring lukewarm water over the area while you pass urine, or urinating in the shower, dilutes the sting. If the tissue around the urethra was reshaped, the stream may spray or change direction, which usually settles as swelling goes down. Being unable to pass urine at all, or passing only tiny amounts with a full, uncomfortable bladder, needs a same-day call.

Bowel movements pull on the perineum, so most teams work to keep stools soft. Strong pain relievers from the opioid class slow gut movement and reliably cause constipation, which is why stool softeners or gentle laxatives are often prescribed alongside them. Whether you need them, and for how long, is a conversation with the prescribing clinician; the aim is simply to avoid straining, which stresses stitches and can provoke bleeding.

Pain control is usually layered: regular non-opioid options, with stronger medicines held for breakthrough pain in the early days and tapered as healing allows. Anti-inflammatory medicines act by dampening the chemical signals that drive swelling and pain, but they are not suitable for everyone, particularly people with kidney problems or on blood thinners. Do not change what has been prescribed without asking.

The silent risk is a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a clot in a leg vein, which can break loose and travel to the lungs. Pelvic and groin surgery, reduced mobility and cancer itself all raise the chance. Hospitals commonly use compression stockings and short courses of injectable anticoagulants, medicines that slow clotting, to lower it. The behaviors that help most are simple: walk short distances often, flex your ankles when seated, and drink enough fluid. A calf that becomes swollen, tender or warm on one side, or sudden breathlessness or chest pain, must be treated as an emergency rather than a question for the next clinic visit.

Can vulvar cancer come back after surgery, and what does follow-up watch for?

Yes, vulvar cancer can return, either at or near the original site, in the groin nodes, or less commonly elsewhere in the body. That possibility is why follow-up is structured rather than optional. The NHS and the National Cancer Institute both describe regular check-ups after treatment so that any recurrence or new precancerous change can be found early, when there are more options for treating it.

Recurrence risk depends on factors your pathology report records: how deep the tumor went, whether the margins of removed tissue were clear, and whether nodes contained cancer. Your team will use these to set how often you are seen and whether additional treatment, such as radiation, is advised. Ask them to walk you through that report in plain words; the numbers on it mean more for your situation than any general statistic.

Follow-up visits involve examining the vulva, the vagina and the groin, and asking about symptoms. Between visits, the changes worth mentioning are those that persist rather than pass: a new lump, thickened patch, sore or ulcer on the vulva that does not heal over a couple of weeks; itching or soreness in one spot that does not settle; new or growing swelling in the groin; or unexplained pain in the pelvis or leg. Once the initial healing period is over, these are the kinds of signs teams want to hear about, not because they usually mean recurrence but because a look in clinic resolves them one way or the other.

Bear in mind that many people who have had vulvar cancer also carry a background risk of further skin changes, particularly when the original cancer arose on chronic skin conditions such as lichen sclerosus or from HPV-related changes. Ongoing skin care and attendance at follow-up are part of long-term management, not a sign that something has already gone wrong.

Sex, sensation and feeling like yourself again

Almost nobody asks about intimacy in the discharge conversation, and almost everybody wonders. The honest picture is that vulvar surgery changes sensation and appearance to a degree that depends on what was removed, and that adjustment is a process with physical and emotional strands.

Physically, the tissue needs to be fully healed before anything touches it, and your team will tell you when that is; it varies with the extent of surgery and whether the wound closed cleanly. Numbness across the wound, and sometimes on the inner thigh or around the clitoris, is common early and often improves over months as nerves regrow, though some areas may stay altered. Scar tissue can make the vaginal opening feel tighter or less elastic. Natural lubrication may be reduced, especially if radiation is part of treatment, and menopause-related dryness compounds this.

Practical approaches that many gynecologic oncology and pelvic health services suggest include using a good lubricant, exploring what feels comfortable alone before involving a partner, allowing plenty of time, and considering pelvic floor physiotherapy to help with tightness and confidence. Vaginal dilators are sometimes recommended after radiation; whether and when is a decision for your team.

Emotionally, grief for how your body looked and felt is a normal response, not vanity. Mayo Clinic explicitly recognizes the effect of vulvar surgery on body image and sexuality and encourages people to raise it with their care team. Counselors, sex therapists and specialist nurses can help, and partners often benefit from being included, since they are frequently afraid of causing pain and withdraw out of caution rather than lack of desire.

Talking about this is part of medical care. If your team does not raise it, you are entitled to, and a good team will not be surprised by the question.

What people often get wrong about healing after vulvar surgery

Some myths make recovery harder than it needs to be. Here are the ones that come up most, with what the evidence actually supports.

“If the wound opens, it must be infected.” Separation and infection are different problems that sometimes coincide. Many vulvar wounds gape slightly because of movement and moisture, with a clean pink base and no fever. That still deserves a look, but it is not the same as cellulitis.

“Keep it completely dry.” The vulva cannot be kept dry, and trying to do so with hair dryers on hot settings or talc causes its own damage. Gentle rinsing with water, patting dry and allowing air to reach the skin is the usual advice. Follow your team’s instructions on bathing rather than folk wisdom.

“Rest means staying still.” Long periods motionless raise clot risk and stiffen the hips. Short frequent walks are safer than either bed rest or long outings.

“Pain coming back at week two is just healing.” Pain that returns after a clear improvement is one of the more reliable early signals of infection or a fluid collection. Report it rather than waiting it out.

“I would know if the cancer had spread because it would hurt.” Early recurrence in the groin or on the vulva is often painless. That is precisely why scheduled examinations exist; symptoms are a poor safety net on their own.

“Lymphedema either shows up straight away or never.” Cleveland Clinic notes that it can develop months or years after treatment. Awareness needs to be lifelong, not just during recovery.

“Asking questions is a nuisance.” Surgical teams would far rather take a call about a spreading red patch on Tuesday than admit someone with a deep infection on Friday. Early calls are the norm, not the exception.

Questions to ask your care team before you go home

The most useful discharge conversation is the one where you leave with specifics rather than generalities. Take this list, and add your own.

• Exactly which operation did I have, and were lymph nodes removed? On one side or both?
• What will my wound look like over the next two weeks, and what would make you want to see it sooner?
• How should I clean the area, how often, and with what? Is there anything I should not put on it?
• Who do I call during office hours, and who do I call at night or on a weekend? What number do I use?
• What temperature counts as a fever for you, and what should I do if I reach it?
• When will the drains and catheter come out, and what should the drainage look like before then?
• Which of my medicines am I taking for pain, which are for clot prevention and which are for the bowels, and how long is each expected to continue?
• Are there any of my usual medicines you have paused, and who decides when they restart?
• How much walking is right for me this week, and what activities should I avoid, including lifting, driving and bathing?
• What signs of lymphedema should I watch for, and can I be referred to a therapist early if they appear?
• When can I expect to hear the final pathology results, and will we discuss whether any further treatment is recommended?
• When is it safe to think about sexual activity again, and is there someone I can talk to about sensation and body image?
• How often will I be seen for follow-up, and for how many years?

Write the answers down, or ask whether a companion can. Post-operative memory is unreliable, and having the answer to “what did they say about the drain” in your own handwriting saves a phone call and some worry.

When to call your doctor: red-flag signs after vulvar surgery

Treat this as the short list to keep on the fridge. It reflects mainstream guidance from MedlinePlus, Mayo Clinic and the NHS on surgical wounds, infection and clot risk, and your own team’s instructions take precedence if they differ.

Call emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department for sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing up blood, fainting, or heavy bright red bleeding from the wound that soaks a pad within an hour or does not stop with firm pressure. These can signal a clot in the lungs or significant bleeding and cannot wait for a clinic call-back.

Call your surgical team the same day for any of the following:

• A measured temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, chills or shaking.
• Redness that is spreading, hot to touch, or streaking up the groin or thigh.
• Thick yellow or green discharge, a foul smell, or drainage that suddenly increases.
• Pain that worsens after a period of improvement, or pain that prescribed measures no longer touch.
• The wound opening more widely, exposed deeper tissue, or any grey or black areas of skin.
• A new firm, tender or hot swelling in the groin.
• Being unable to pass urine, or passing only small amounts with a full bladder.
• Cloudy, foul-smelling urine with fever or back pain.
• One calf that is swollen, painful or warm compared with the other.
• Persistent vomiting, or no bowel movement for several days with abdominal bloating and discomfort.

Call within a few days, or raise at your next visit, for mild ongoing swelling in the leg or vulva, numbness or tingling that troubles you, low mood or anxiety that is not lifting, or questions about activity, bathing or intimacy.

When in doubt, call. The judgment about whether something is normal healing, a fluid collection, an infection or a rare complication belongs with the people who know your operation, and they expect the phone to ring.

Frequently asked questions

How long is recovery after vulvar surgery?

Recovery varies widely with the extent of surgery. The NHS notes that recovery from a vulvectomy can take several weeks, and longer when lymph nodes are removed or a flap is used. Wide local excision often heals faster, while radical vulvectomy with groin dissection is usually measured in months. Your team will give you a range based on your operation, your general health and how the wound behaves in the first weeks.

What is a typical vulvectomy recovery time before I can sit comfortably or return to work?

Sitting squarely on the wound is uncomfortable for a few weeks for many people, and reclining or lying on one side is easier early on. Return to work depends on the job, the extent of surgery and whether the wound has closed cleanly; desk work often resumes sooner than physical work. Ask your team for a specific estimate rather than relying on general figures, since wound separation or groin fluid can extend the timeline.

How long does vulvar inflammation last after cancer surgery?

The visible inflammation of early healing, with redness, warmth and swelling at the wound edge, usually dominates the first few days and settles over the first week or two as new tissue fills the wound, according to MedlinePlus descriptions of how wounds heal. Firmness and mild swelling can linger for weeks, and scars keep softening for months. Inflammation that spreads, heats up or comes with fever is not normal healing and needs a call.

What are the signs of infection after vulvectomy?

The usual pattern is redness that spreads outward and feels hot, swelling that becomes firm, pain that increases after having improved, thick yellow or green discharge, a foul smell, and a measured fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, sometimes with chills. A hot, tender swelling in the groin crease can indicate an infected fluid collection. Any of these should be reported to your surgical team the same day rather than watched at home.

Is it normal for the wound to open after vulvar surgery?

Some degree of wound separation is a recognized complication of vulvar surgery because the area is moist, warm and constantly moving. A small gap with a clean pink base is often managed with regular cleansing and light dressings while it closes from the bottom up. It still needs to be seen. Wider separation, exposed deeper tissue, grey or black skin, or separation with fever or pus should be reported the same day.

What are the signs that vulvar cancer has spread?

Spread is usually first to the groin lymph nodes and may cause no symptoms at all, which is why scheduled examinations matter more than self-checking. Changes worth reporting between visits include a new or growing lump in the groin, a sore or thickened patch on the vulva that does not heal, persistent one-spot itching or soreness, or unexplained pelvic or leg pain. These often have benign explanations, and your team can assess them properly.

Can vulvar cancer come back after surgery?

Yes, it can return at the original site, in the groin nodes or, less commonly, elsewhere. The likelihood depends on features in your pathology report such as tumor depth, margin status and node involvement, which your team uses to plan follow-up and any additional treatment. Regular check-ups are designed to detect recurrence or new skin changes early, when there are more options for treating them.

What does lymphedema after vulvar cancer surgery feel like at the start?

Early lymphedema is subtle: heaviness or aching in a leg by evening, a shoe or waistband that feels tighter on one side, skin that holds a dent when pressed, or swelling in the lower abdomen or vulva. Cleveland Clinic notes it can appear months or years after node removal. Reporting these signs early allows referral to a lymphedema therapist for fitted compression and drainage techniques, which are easier to apply before swelling becomes established.

How should I clean the area after vulvar surgery?

Most teams advise rinsing with plain lukewarm water, using a jug, handheld shower or squeeze bottle, then patting dry gently and letting air reach the skin. Rinsing while passing urine reduces stinging. Soaps, wipes, creams or powders should be avoided unless specifically recommended, and wounds should not be probed or packed at home. Follow your own team’s written instructions, especially regarding baths and swimming, since advice differs by wound type.

When is it an emergency rather than a phone call after vulvar surgery?

Call emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department for sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing up blood, fainting, or heavy bright red bleeding that soaks a pad within an hour or does not stop with firm pressure. These may indicate a clot in the lungs or significant bleeding. A swollen, painful calf on one side should also be assessed urgently the same day because of the risk of deep vein thrombosis.

References

• NHS: Vulval cancer, treatment
• MedlinePlus: Surgical wound infection, treatment
• MedlinePlus: How wounds heal
• Cleveland Clinic: Lymphedema

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.