The Two-Decade Experience of Oncovascular Reconstruction in Patients with Retroperitoneal Sarcoma

Background

Surgical resection remains the cornerstone of sarcoma treatment; however, tumor involvement of major vasculature presents challenges. Multidisciplinary approaches incorporating vascular surgery have expanded feasibility of resection, yet long-term outcome data remain limited.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas who underwent resection with vascular reconstruction at a tertiary referral center from 2001 to 2024. Data included demographics, tumor characteristics, operative details, and outcomes including mortality, graft patency, and reinterventions.

Results

A total of 263 vascular procedures were performed in 101 patients (median age 59 years; 52% female). Prior sarcoma resection occurred in 36.3%, 53.5% received chemoradiation, and 41.7% had stage IV disease. The most common histology was leiomyosarcoma (34.7%). Concurrent procedures included nephrectomy (53.5%) and colectomy (36.3%). Thirty-day mortality was 5%, with a 64.4% Clavien-Dindo grade II + complication rate. Median overall survival was 5.9 years. Vascular reintervention occurred in 11.9% of cases. One-year vascular reintervention-free survival was 90.5%, with no 1-year survival difference between patients with (93.3%, n = 84) and without reconstruction thrombosis (81.7%, n = 16; P = 0.454). Univariate analysis associated thrombosis with diabetes, dual antiplatelet therapy, anticoagulation with antiplatelet therapy, iliac vein reconstruction using cryopreserved grafts, and 90-day readmission. On multivariate analysis, only use of cryopreserved grafts for iliac vein reconstruction remained significantly associated with thrombosis (odds ratio (OR) 12.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.68–18.93; P = 0.019).

Conclusion

Over two decades, vascular reconstructions facilitated complex sarcoma resections with favorable long-term outcomes. Iliac vein reconstructions using cryopreserved grafts carry higher thrombosis risk. Despite the complexity of these cases, the outcomes reflect the effectiveness of multidisciplinary management.