Patients with malignant tumors from the neck to the hand and the pelvis to the foot risk undergoing amputation to prevent the spread of cancerous cells to other healthy body organs causing adverse effects that could jeopardize their wellbeing. Fortunately, Villa Rica limb salvage presents an option for patients with malignant tumors to undergo preservative treatment that does not necessitate limb removal.
What Are The Treatment Options For Malignant Tumors?
Clinicians usually recommend medical treatments for patients with malignant tumors. These medical treatments include chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The reason these treatments are popular is their efficacy in reducing the tumor size, thus allowing a more straightforward surgical procedure to remove the tumor without causing significant loss in vital tissues like nerves and vessels.
Surgery is a potential treatment option but carries increased risk. Physicians only recommend a surgical approach after conservative treatments fail to address a patient’s concerns. Saving a patient’s limb during the surgical removal of a malignant tumor requires high-level training and experience to eliminate the risk of complications.
How Can Physicians Prepare For Surgical Malignancy Removal to Save A Patient’s Limb?
Physicians should be confident in eliminating the tumor without spilling it into neighboring tissues, causing recurrence. A recurred tumor increases a patient’s risk of adverse effects like death. A physician should also develop an appropriate limb reconstruction plan to salvage the patient’s limb. Leveraging MRI and CT imaging is critical to creating an accurate diagnosis and surgical procedure because these tests eliminate certain uncertainties that influence treatment outcomes, including the location and extent of the tumor.
Postoperative Protocols Following Tumor Removal
After a physician removes the malignancy from the body does not mean the patient is out of the woods. Complementary protocols need to occur to support reconstruction. Tissue and organ reconstruction is necessary because it restores reconnection of blood vessels allowing blood flow to the area, thus accelerating healing. A trained limb salvaging specialist will leverage advanced plastic surgery procedures, including borrowing tissues for healthy sites to stimulate healing. Performing nerve grafts and repair may also be necessary to improve recovery outcomes.
How Physicians Address Bone Loss
Reconstructing and replacing large segments of missing bone is one of the most significant challenges affecting surgeons’ efforts to salvage a patient’s limb. Fortunately, many options are available to achieve desired outcomes. For example:
- Allograft bone replacement
- Endoprosthesis
- Tissue regeneration
- Fusion of a joint
These options vary in benefits and risks, thus requiring specific applications for more preferable results. Patient education is necessary to guide patients into the appropriate treatment plan that will allow them to salvage their limbs. Clinicians should also discuss the risks associated with each treatment plan to ensure patients make informed decisions that promote treatment adherence. Working with a trained and experienced physician also promotes improved outcomes. Contact Peachstate Advanced Cardiac and Endovascular (PACE) to schedule an appointment with a board-certified practitioner to determine the presence of an underlying tumor and begin an appropriate treatment plan to guarantee you salvage your limbs.
