OBJECTIVE: To describe the experience of one single institution in internal hemipelvectomies without reconstruction and external hemipelvectomies. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with primary tumors of the pelvic region underwent total hemipelvectomy, at Barretos Cancer Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil, between 2004 and July 2009. Of these, seven were treated with external hemipelvectomy (classic) and 14 with internal hemipelvectomy. Evaluation was done based on Enneking's surgical classification for internal hemipelvectomy. RESULTS: Overal survival in two years was 63,9%. Median survival of 43 months. Functional outcomes demonstrated that procedures with inominate bone ressection reached 12,5%, 62,5% and 25% of bad, good and excellent results, respectively. When inominate bone was preserved the results were 16,7% and 83,3% good and excellent, respectively. No endoprosthesis or bone graft reconstructions were done. CONCLUSIONS: Hemipelvectomy is an unusual procedure that is rarely performed because it is infrequently indicated and because of its high morbidity rate. In some reports, the morbidity rate has reached 77% of the cases. We did not perform any type of reconstruction or arthrodesis based on complications and the experience of good results with this method. Our results are similar to the main reports and are still subject of discussion by the oncologic surgeons. Level of evidence IV, Case-control study.
Hemipelvectomy; Neoplasms; Amputation; Soft tissue neoplasms; Survival rates
