Clinical Outcomes Following Resection of Distal Lower Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Objective: Resection of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) in the distal lower extremity can result in large soft tissue defects that create difficult wounds to manage and significant risks for complications. Often, the anticipated or resultant tissue defect or loss of functional anatomy is an indication for amputation over limb salvage. Soft tissue reconstruction managed by plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) may help offer limb salvage as a therapeutic option with accept-able oncologic outcomes and wound complication rates.Methods: This was a review of 52 patients who underwent resection of STS at the level of the knee or distal between 2010 and 2020. Plastic and reconstructive surgery soft tissue management was utilized in 40.4% (n = 21) of cases, most of whom would have otherwise been considered candidates for amputation.Results: The overall rate of limb salvage was 76.9%. The overall rate of wound complications was 19.2%. The overall rate of negative margins of resection was 92.3%. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year overall survival probabilities were 92%, 85%, and 85%, respectively. Of the 40 limb salvage procedures, two required subsequent amputation, one for multiply recur-rent disease and one for necrosis. The wound complication rate was 14.3% in the PRS management group and 22.6% in cases of wound closure managed by the primary surgeon. There were zero instances of total wound or flap loss in PRS- managed closures. When comparing patients with wound complications to those without, there was no difference in age (59.5 +/- 21 vs. 51 +/- 18 years, p = 0.42), body mass index (31.1 +/- 4.8 vs. 26.1 +/- 7.1 kg/m2, p = 0.19), or tumor size (6.8 +/- 5.0 vs. 6.4 +/- 4.7 cm, p = 0.82). At final follow-up, 67% (n = 35) of patients were alive and disease-free.Conclusions: Wound complications are not uncommon after resection of distal lower extremity STS. Our experi-ence has been successful in achieving limb salvage in these challenging cases. Without PRS soft tissue management, however, many patients may alternatively be candidates for amputation.