Background: The standard treatment of care for melanoma metastatic to the inguinal lymph node basin is lymphadenectomy. However, up to 50% of patients forgo the operation partly due to concerns about morbidity. Videoscopic inguinal lymphadenectomy (VIL) is a minimally invasive technique designed to minimize wound complications while achieving comparable oncological control.
Methods: We reviewed pertinent literature related to open inguinal lymphadenectomy and VIL specific to melanoma, offering personal experience where appropriate.
Results: Despite efforts to minimize the complications of open inguinal lymphadenectomy, approximately 50% of patients experience a wound-related complication. However, performing minimally invasive VIL has led to a significant decrease in length of hospital stay, a decrease in complications, and equivalent or superior lymph node retrieval in patients with metastatic melanoma to the inguinal basin.
Conclusions: VIL is an alternative to open inguinal lymphadenectomy for patients with melanoma and regional metastases.