Major vessel excision in retroperitoneal lymph node dissection

Retroperitoneal malignant tumours, both primary and metastatic, may involve surrounding structures such as the aorta and vena cava, making complete tumour excision difficult. En bloc resection of major blood vessels should be considered in such cases. The authors describe three patients who underwent excision of major blood vessels with retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. Two patients had aortic resection with placement of a Dacron tube graft, and one had excision of the vena cava from above the renal vessels to the level of the common iliac veins with distal venous ligation. The low complication rate confirms the feasibility of excising major blood vessels to accomplish complete retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy.