Radboudumc pioneers clitoral reconstruction surgery for vulvar cancer survivors

At Radboudumc, a team led by Mieke ten Eikelder and Tim Nijhuis has refined a clitoral reconstruction method performed simultaneously with tumor removal. By freeing and shifting the clitoral nerve bundles and capping the new tip with a graft of oral mucosa, the technique preserves sensation and enables orgasm. Early results from 23 patients show that roughly 90 % achieved clitoral orgasms three to six months after surgery, with sensory function normalising by one year.

The extra operative time is about 15 minutes and avoids a second procedure. The approach is being rolled out nationally, funded partly by the KWF Kankerbestrijding fund, and specialists from other hospitals and abroad are being trained. Researchers hope it will become the global standard for post-cancer clitoral reconstruction.