OBJECTIVETo evaluate the methods of surgery for extraperitoneal pelvic neoplasms.

METHODSClinical data related to surgery of 84 cases of extraperitoneal pelvic neoplasms were extracted and retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSAll 84 patients underwent operations, including one of them who received 4 operations within 6 months for resection of a single tumor. 58 abdominal, 16 buttock and 10 combined incisions were made in the series. Pelvic organs and structures were co-resected in 35 cases, including total pelvic exenteration in 2 cases and anterior pelvic exenteration in 2 cases. Common and/or external iliac vessels were resected and transplantations of artificial vessel were carried in 5 cases. Internal iliac arteries were ligated in 10 cases. The mean blood lose was 2 385 ml in our series and the largest was 15 000 ml. The complete resection rate of tumor was 81% for 84 operations and the largest resected tumor was 30 cm x 30 cm x 25 cm. There was no hospitalized death, and postoperative complication rate was 7% (6/84) in our series. Only 1 death were seen during the mean period of postoperative follow-up of 54 months, 22 operations were carried for 21 cases of recurrence, including 7 operations for 7 recurrences in a case within 12 years.

CONCLUSIONSMaking adequate abdominal or/and buttock incisions, exenterations of involved pelvic organs and structures, total pelvic exenteration if necessary, appropriate management of iliac vessels, planned re-operation for one tumor, and re-operation for recurrences are important methods for the treatment of extraperitoneal pelvic neoplasms.