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What is Sarcoma Resection?

Sarcoma resection is a surgical procedure to remove a sarcoma, a malignant tumor originating from mesenchymal tissues such as muscle, fat, bone, or cartilage. Sarcomas are rare, comprising about 1% of all cancers, and can occur in the extremities, trunk, or retroperitoneum. In India, sarcoma resections are performed in surgical oncology or orthopedic oncology departments at hospitals like Apollo, Fortis, Medanta, Tata Memorial, and AIIMS, often at affordable costs. Understanding the procedure, costs, recovery, risks, and FAQs is essential for patients.

Why do you need Sarcoma Resection?

Sarcoma resection is indicated for:

  • Sarcoma:
    • Soft tissue sarcoma (STS, 80% of sarcomas; 0.5–1 per 100,000 in India; common types: liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma).
    • Bone sarcoma (20% of sarcomas; e.g., osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma; more common in children/teens).
    • Common sites: Extremities (60%), trunk (20%), retroperitoneum (15%).
  • Staging and prognosis:
    • Stage I–II: Localized (5-year survival: 60–80%).
    • Stage III: Locally advanced (5-year survival: 40–60%).
    • Stage IV: Metastatic, often to lungs (5-year survival: 10–20%).
  • Associated treatments:
    • Neoadjuvant therapy: Chemotherapy (e.g., doxorubicin) or radiation to shrink tumor pre-op (especially for high-grade sarcomas).
    • Adjuvant therapy: Radiation or chemotherapy post-op to reduce recurrence risk.
    • Limb salvage: Preferred over amputation (80–90% of extremity sarcomas); may involve reconstruction.
  • Timing:
    • Performed in adults (STS, average age 50–70 years) or children/teens (bone sarcomas, 10–20 years); urgency depends on stage and symptoms (e.g., pain, mass effect).

The procedure aims to remove the sarcoma with clear margins (no cancer at edges), preserve function (especially in limbs), and prevent recurrence, often requiring a multidisciplinary approach with reconstruction for large defects.

Why Do Sarcoma Resection Costs Vary in India?

Costs range from ₹1 lakh to ₹4 lakh:

  • Procedure Complexity: Simple excision (₹1–1.5 lakh); with limb salvage/reconstruction (₹2–4 lakh); amputation (₹1.5–2.5 lakh).
  • Hospital/Location: Higher in metro cities (Apollo, Fortis: ₹2–4 lakh); lower in government hospitals (Tata Memorial, AIIMS: ₹50,000–₹1.5 lakh, often subsidized under Ayushman Bharat).
  • Surgeon’s Expertise: Experienced surgical or orthopedic oncologists charge more.
  • Additional Costs: Anesthesia (₹10,000–₹20,000), hospital stay (₹5,000–₹15,000/day), pathology (₹5,000–₹10,000), medications (₹5,000–₹15,000).
  • Insurance: Often covered (medical necessity); confirm with your provider.

Sarcoma Resection Procedure

  • Before Surgery Evaluation:
    • Assessment:
      • Imaging: MRI/CT to assess tumor size, location, and involvement of surrounding structures (e.g., nerves, vessels).
      • Biopsy: Confirms sarcoma type and grade (low, intermediate, high).
      • Blood tests: Blood sugar, clotting profile; liver function (if metastasis suspected).
      • PET scan: Checks for metastasis (common to lungs in sarcoma).
    • Preparation: Neoadjuvant therapy (if indicated); plan reconstruction (e.g., flap, prosthesis for bone).
    • Consent: Risks, including recurrence, are explained.
  • Surgical Technique:
    • Sarcoma Resection:
      • Performed under general anesthesia, lasting 2–6 hours (depending on complexity).
      • Process:
        • Wide local excision: Tumor removed with margin (1–2 cm of healthy tissue) to ensure clear margins.
        • Compartmental resection (if needed): Removes entire muscle compartment if tumor invades.
        • Limb salvage (extremity sarcomas): Preserves limb; may involve vessel/nerve grafting or bone reconstruction (e.g., prosthesis, bone graft).
        • Amputation (5–10% of cases): If tumor involves major nerves/vessels or recurrence after limb salvage.
        • Retroperitoneal sarcoma: Removes tumor with adjacent organs (e.g., kidney, colon) if involved.
      • Reconstruction:
        • Soft tissue: Skin grafts or flaps (as you asked earlier) for large defects.
        • Bone: Endoprosthesis, bone graft, or vascularized fibula flap.
      • Closure: Sutures in layers; drains placed to prevent fluid buildup.
    • Intraoperative Tools:
      • Intraoperative MRI: Ensures clear margins (if available).
      • Frozen section: Confirms margins intra-op.
      • Vascular clips: For vessel reconstruction.
  • After Surgery:
    • Hospital stay: 3–7 days (longer with reconstruction).
    • Care: Physiotherapy to regain function (especially for limbs); drains removed in 3–5 days.
    • Pain management: Moderate pain for 3–7 days; managed with painkillers (e.g., paracetamol).
    • Instructions: Avoid strenuous activity for 6–12 weeks; radiation (if needed) starts 4–6 weeks post-op.

Recovery After Sarcoma Resection

  1. Hospital Stay: 3–7 days (longer with reconstruction).
  2. Post-Surgery Care:
    • Pain/Swelling: Moderate pain for 3–7 days; swelling resolves in 2–4 weeks.
    • Activity: Avoid strenuous activity for 6–12 weeks; light activities in 2–3 weeks; physiotherapy for limb function.
    • Incision: Sutures removed in 10–14 days; scar fades in 6–12 months; flap/graft sites monitored for healing.
    • Function: Limb salvage patients regain 70–90% function with rehab (3–6 months); prosthetics for amputation (fitting at 6–8 weeks).
    • Adjuvant therapy: Radiation or chemotherapy starts 4–6 weeks post-op if needed.
  3. Follow-Up:
    • Visits at 1 week (check healing), 1 month, and every 3 months for 2 years, then every 6 months for 5 years (recurrence risk).
    • Imaging: MRI/CT every 3–6 months to monitor for recurrence or metastasis (lungs).

Most resume normal activities in 6–8 weeks (simple resection) or 3–6 months (with reconstruction); full recovery takes 6–12 months. Success rate: 5-year survival for localized sarcoma is 60–80%; 20–40% for metastatic disease.

Risks and Complications

  • Surgical Risks:
    • Bleeding (2–5%): Hematoma at site; may need drainage.
    • Infection (3–5%): At incision or graft site; treated with antibiotics.
    • Anesthesia risks (<1%): Reaction to anesthesia; rare in healthy patients.
  • Post-Surgery:
    • Wound dehiscence (2–5%): Suture line opens; may need reclosure.
    • Nerve injury (5–10%): Numbness or weakness (extremity sarcomas); often temporary.
    • Lymphedema (5–10%): Swelling in limb; managed with compression.
    • Graft/prosthesis failure (3–5%, bone sarcoma): May need revision surgery.
  • Long-Term:
    • Recurrence (20–30%): Local recurrence; 30–50% develop lung metastases; needs regular imaging.
    • Functional limitation (10–20%): Reduced mobility; rehab helps.

Report fever, severe pain, swelling, or reduced limb function promptly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What causes the need for sarcoma resection?

Sarcoma (soft tissue or bone), often due to genetic mutations, radiation exposure, or chronic lymphedema; cause often unknown.

Can I avoid sarcoma resection?

No, if confirmed: Surgery is primary treatment; radiation/chemotherapy alone risks progression for resectable tumors.

Is sarcoma resection painful?

Moderate pain for 3–7 days, managed with medication; resolves in 2–3 weeks.

How soon can I resume normal activities?

Light activities: 2–3 weeks; full recovery: 6–12 months (with rehab); avoid strenuous activity for 6–12 weeks.

Is sarcoma resection covered by insurance in India?

Often covered (medical necessity); confirm with your provider; Ayushman Bharat often subsidizes.

Signs of complications?

Fever, severe pain, swelling, or reduced limb function.

Will I regain full function after surgery?

Varies: 70–90% regain near-normal function with limb salvage and rehab; amputation requires prosthetics.

Lifestyle changes post-surgery?

Physiotherapy, monitor for recurrence, avoid trauma to affected area, and attend follow-ups.

Conclusion

Sarcoma resection is a critical procedure for treating sarcomas, with good outcomes in localized cases when combined with adjuvant therapy. India’s top hospitals (Apollo, Fortis, Tata Memorial) provide affordable care, often covered by insurance. Understanding the procedure, costs, recovery, risks, and FAQs helps patients approach surgery confidently. Consult a surgical or orthopedic oncologist for personalized guidance.

Looking for Best Hospitals for Sarcoma resection

Note: we are not promoting any hospitals

we are not promoting any hospitals we sourced all the details from google and hospitals website, please verify and start with your surgery here we go the list includes government, budget and superspeciality hospitals accreditation bodies are the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) and the Joint Commission International (JCI)

  • click on your city and schedule your surgery now done in good hands.
City Minimum Price (₹) Maximum Price (₹)
Agra
1,00,000
3,50,000
Ahmedabad
1,20,000
4,00,000
Ajmer
1,00,000
3,50,000
Aligarh
1,00,000
3,50,000
Allahabad
1,00,000
3,50,000
Amritsar
1,10,000
3,75,000
Aurangabad
1,10,000
3,75,000
Bangalore
1,20,000
4,00,000
Bareilly
1,00,000
3,50,000
Belgaum
1,10,000
3,75,000
Bhopal
1,10,000
3,75,000
Bhubaneswar
1,10,000
3,75,000
Bikaner
1,00,000
3,50,000
Chandigarh
1,20,000
4,00,000
Chennai
1,20,000
4,00,000
Coimbatore
1,20,000
4,00,000
Dehradun
1,10,000
3,75,000
Delhi
1,20,000
4,00,000
Dhanbad
1,00,000
3,50,000
Durgapur
1,00,000
3,50,000
Faridabad
1,20,000
4,00,000
Ghaziabad
1,20,000
4,00,000
Gorakhpur
1,00,000
3,50,000
Guntur
1,10,000
3,75,000
Gurgaon
1,20,000
4,00,000
Guwahati
1,10,000
3,75,000
Gwalior
1,00,000
3,50,000
Hyderabad
1,20,000
4,00,000
Indore
1,10,000
3,75,000
Jabalpur
1,00,000
3,50,000
Jaipur
1,20,000
4,00,000
Jalandhar
1,10,000
3,75,000
Jamshedpur
1,10,000
3,75,000
Jodhpur
1,00,000
3,50,000
Kanpur
1,00,000
3,50,000
Kochi
1,20,000
4,00,000
Kolkata
1,20,000
4,00,000
Kollam
1,10,000
3,75,000
Lucknow
1,10,000
3,75,000
Ludhiana
1,20,000
4,00,000
Madurai
1,10,000
3,75,000
Mangalore
1,10,000
3,75,000
Meerut
1,00,000
3,50,000
Moradabad
1,00,000
3,50,000
Mumbai
1,20,000
4,00,000
Mysore
1,20,000
4,00,000
Nagpur
1,10,000
3,75,000
Nashik
1,10,000
3,75,000
Navi Mumbai
1,20,000
4,00,000
Noida
1,20,000
4,00,000
Patna
1,00,000
3,50,000
Pune
1,20,000
4,00,000
Raipur
1,10,000
3,75,000
Rajkot
1,10,000
3,75,000
Ranchi
1,00,000
3,50,000
Surat
1,20,000
4,00,000
Thane
1,20,000
4,00,000
Vadodara
1,10,000
3,75,000
Varanasi
1,00,000
3,50,000
Visakhapatnam
1,10,000
3,75,000

Disclaimer

This information is sourced from open platforms and is for general awareness only. Costs may vary based on individual cases. Please consult a qualified doctor for medical advice and explore options within your budget before deciding on the procedure.

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