The surgical technique for forequarter amputation: a clinical analysis of ten cases

The surgical technique for forequarter amputation has been described in a step-by-step fashion. Our personal experience of ten cases has achieved a 40% overall cure rate. Soft somatic tissue sarcomas seem to have a much better five-year survival rate than the corresponding bone sarcoma (60% vs 0%). The disease-free state during the first postoperative year appears to be a very favorable indicator for long-term survival. We feel that surgery should be combined with prophylactic chemotherapy in order to prolong survival time and save lives.