Limb-salvage surgery with vascular reconstruction after lower extremity sarcoma resection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Limb-salvage surgery with vascular reconstruction is the current standard treatment when sarcoma involves major vessels of the lower extremity. However, the low incidence of sarcoma and rarity of limb-salvage surgery are limiting factors for the reliable study of limb-salvage surgery. Therefore, a systematic review was conducted to establish better management of lower extremity sarcoma based on currently available evidence.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of data on limb-salvage surgery with vascular reconstruction for lower extremity sarcoma were conducted using MEDLINE through PubMed, Scopus, CINARL, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Overall limb-salvage rate was the primary outcome, and rates of perioperative complication and arterial patency were secondary outcomes.

Results: Among the 271 patients (18 studies) included in this study, 69.4% underwent arterial reconstruction with autologous graft, 22.0% underwent synthetic graft, and 8.6% underwent other reconstructive methods. Pooled overall limb-salvage rate was 89.8% [95% confidence interval (CI), 85.0-93.1%] after a mean follow-up of 19-74.7 months. Pooled overall perioperative complication and arterial patency rates were 49.5% (95% CI, 42.8-56.2%) and 85.4% (95% CI, 79.5-89.9%), respectively.

Conclusions: Current evidence suggests that limb-salvage surgery with vascular reconstruction has a high limb-salvage rate; however, the high perioperative complication rate remains problematic. Early and appropriate interventions are required to optimize the complications of limb-salvage surgery.