Wound complications following pre-operative radiotherapy for soft tissue sarcoma

Abstract

AIMS: We analysed wound complications in 43 patients with soft tissue sarcoma who were treated with combined pre-operative radiotherapy and surgery. METHODS: All patients received the same protocol of pre-operative radiotherapy at our institution. RESULTS: Thirty-six (84%) patients developed acute skin toxicity following radiotherapy. After wide local excision, 15 patients required primary soft tissue reconstruction with vascularized muscle transfer and four patients underwent free skin flap to enable wound closure as part of their primary surgery. Nineteen patients (44%) developed post-operative wound complications including 10 (23%) patients who required an additional surgical procedure. F..