Pelvic and Perineal Reconstruction After Bowel, Gynecological or Sacral Tumor Resection: A Case Series

Background/Aim: Perineal, pelvic and urogenital reconstruction presents a challenge, not only due to defect size but also due to high morbidity resulting from surgery and post-operative complications. The purpose of this study is to review the surgical approach and evaluate the results regarding pelvic/perineal reconstruction after advanced tumor resection. Patients and Methods: The total number of patients was 34 (11 males, 23 females). The histology varied, including sixteen rectal-anal squamous cell carcinomas, five Buschke-Lowenstein tumors, four vulvar-vaginal carcinomas, four sacral chordomas, two cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas, two soft tissue sarcomas and a case of Paget's disease. Most patients had previously been treated with colectomies and/or gynecological resections and received a full dose of radiotherapy. Reconstruction was performed with the following flaps: oblique/vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap (ORAM/VRAM), gracilis myocutaneous flap, inferior gluteal artery perforator flap (IGAP), internal pudendal artery perforator flap (IPAP) and lotus petal flaps. Results: Most patients had a relatively uncomplicated post-operative course. Surgical site infection and wound dehiscence occurred more commonly with the thigh flaps rather than the abdominal flaps. However, the aggression and the frequent recurrences of these tumors had as a result, only 15 out of 34 patients achieved a five-year disease-free survival. Conclusions: Pelvic and perineal defects are usually massive and the use of myocutaneous flaps to eliminate the dead space is of paramount importance. Although these are mainly salvage operations with a low survival rate, they promote patients' quality of life. A frequent challenge is the simultaneous achievement of tumor radical resection and pelvis functionality.