Australia & New Zealand Society of Vascular Surgeons

Despite advances in chemotherapy and radiotherapy, there remain a group of tumours for which radical excision is the preferred option. These include renal carcinoma with inferior vena caval involvement, sarcoma and retroperitoneal germ cell tumours. Removing extensive tumours requires a surgical team including vascular surgeons. Large vessel involvement need not be an impediment to en bloc resection but decisions regarding the need for excision, when and how to reconstruct vessels can be difficult. Our experience with retroperitoneal sarcoma and particularly eight retroperitoneal germ cell tumours has been reviewed. Aortic replacements have involved both dacron and PTFE whilst inferior vena caval replacement has only been performed when there is suprarenal involvement. Externally supported PTFE has become the conduit of choice without arteriovenous fistula creation.