Outcomes of VAC temporization following the excision of microinvasive sarcomas pending negative formal pathologic margins.

Abstract

e23559 Background: Microinvasive sarcomas can yield a high number of false negative intraoperative pathology margin analyses. Additional oncologic resection after soft tissue coverage is technically challenging and oncologically inaccurate. As a result the rate of local recurrence for these histologies can be 25% or higher. In select patients we have temporized the sarcoma tumor bed with a wound VAC pending final pathologic margins. If positive, the patient can return to the OR for a tumor bed excision. If negative, soft tissue coverage can proceed. Here we evaluate our outcomes using this approach. Methods: We retrospectively studied patients with primary sarcomas managed with a VAC temporizing approach from from 1/1/2003 to 12/1/2019 with a minimum of 2 years of oncologic follow-up. Patients with unplanned ("oopsie") excisions were also included. Our primary outcome was local recurrence. Data is presented as percentages or mean ± standard deviation where appropriate. Results: Sixty-three patients were included (Table). Mean age was 62.3 ± 22.3 (median 67.3) years, 23 (36.5%) were female, and mean age-adjusted charlson comorbidity index was 5.3 ± 1.9. Twenty-four (38.1%) had undergone “oopsie” excisions. R0 margins were achieved in 59 (93.7%) patients, while the other 4 were known R1 resections due to patient tolerance or anatomy. Five local recurrences (7.9%) were diagnosed 3.2 ± 1.5 years after surgery, of which 3 had known positive margins. Free flaps were needed in 17 (27.0%) patients. Metastatic disease was diagnosed in 8 (12.7%) patients, who all died of disease. Mean follow-up was 4.4 ± 2.9 years. Conclusions: VAC temporization results few local recurrences in patients with formally confirmed negative margins. This technique is particularly useful in the treatment of microinvasive disease or in the management of vulnerable hosts who may not be able to tolerate additional surgery in the future.[Table: see text]