Reconstructive surgery in the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities

Treatment of the soft tissue sarcomas requires multidisciplinary approach. Tumor dissection according to the anatomic areas sometimes leads to wide defects with major vessels, nerves or bone skeletization. Introduction of the plastic reconstructive surgery, vascular surgery in the treatment of this group of patients significantly increased percent of limb salvage surgeries, decreased postoperative complications and improved quality of life. Treatment results of 51 pts with locally advanced soft tissue sarcomas were analyzed. Free and transferred flaps were used. Indications, surgery techniques, results and possible complications for rectoabdominal (transferred and free on microvascular anastomosis flaps), transferred sural and thoracodorsal flaps were analyzed. Results showed that using reconstructive and vascular surgery the frequency of limb salvage surgeries maybe significantly increased in that group of patients. Local control results and better quality of life maybe achieved by using transferred regional flaps and free microsurgical autotrasplats.

soft tissue sarcoma, microsurgery in oncology, reconstructive surgery