Staged Soft Tissue Reconstruction Following Sarcoma Excision with Anticipated Large Cutaneous Defects: An Oncologically Safe Alternative

We hypothesized that select patients undergoing planned soft tissue sarcoma (STS) excision with anticipated skin and soft tissue deficits could be treated with a two stage surgical procedure which would allow some flexibility in coverage options while not significantly increasing local recurrence rate or wound complication rate. A retrospective review was undertaken in a series of consecutive patients with a minimum 2-year follow-up treated by a single orthopedic oncologist and a single reconstructive plastic surgeon who were managed with a staged approach STS excision and reconstruction. There were 73 patients identified over a ten-year period that underwent staged STS excision and soft tissue reconstruction. There were 12 (16%) initial positive margins resected to negative final margins, and a variety of coverage procedures performed. Wound complication rate was 21%. Local recurrence rate was 11%. Staged STS excision and reconstruction is an acceptable tool in the armamentarium of the orthopedic oncologist for managing major soft tissue deficits without an increase in local recurrence rates.