Arterial reconstructions associated with the resection of malignant tumors.

OBJECTIVE When trunk arteries are affected by malignant neoplasia, and surgical treatment involving tumor and arterial resection is used, the vascular reconstruction must be performed immediately to avoid ischemia in the brain and large tissue masses. The objective of this study was to analyze the results obtained with the treatment of patients with malignant neoplasia who underwent tumor and vascular resection associated with arterial reconstruction. The primary patency of reconstructions, the occurrence arterial complications, and patient survival were assessed. METHODS Thirty-six patients with cervical, abdominal, or lower limb neoplasias were followed up. These patients underwent elective operations at Hospital do Câncer A.C. Camargo, São Paulo, between September 1997 and September 2004. They were divided into 3 groups according to tumor location: Cervical (14), lower limbs (13), and Abdomen (9). Thirty-eight arterial reconstructions were performed in these 36 patients. RESULTS There were 5 arterial complications: 2 early- and 3 late-stage. The early complications consisted of 1 symptomatic carotid occlusion with sequelae and 1 femoral graft rupture without sequelae. The late-stage complications consisted of 1 symptomatic carotid occlusion, 1 occlusion of an axillary-carotid graft, and 1 occlusion of a branch of the aortobifemoral graft, all without sequelae. There was no difference between the primary arterial patency rates. All the deaths (22) resulted from progression of neoplasic disease. CONCLUSIONS Arterial reconstructions associated with resection of malignant neoplasia in cervical, abdominal, or lower limbs can be carried out with low rates of morbidity and mortality. There was no difference in the primary arterial patency rates among the groups studied.