Study aim: Oncological complete surgery of retroperitoneal tumours may require segmental resection of part of the invaded inferior vena cava. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess whether reconstruction of the inferior vena cava is necessary and presents any advantage.
Patients and methods: This study included four patients who underwent partial resection of the inferior vena cava invaded by a retroperitoneal tumour, without reconstruction. Tumours were one renal cancer, one malignant phaeochromocytoma, one malignant retroperitoneal histiofibroma and one undifferentiated retroperitoneal carcinoma. The resection was located at the level of the renal confluence, associated with right nephrectomy, in 3 patients, and above this confluence, at the level of the retrohepatic inferior vena cava in 1 patient.
Results: Only one case of transient acute renal failure was observed during the postoperative course. One patient developed right deep vein thrombosis after three months and another one after 30 months. One patient died from cancer recurrence after 19 months. The other 3 patients were alive with anticoagulant therapy and without sequelae after 3, 6 and 15 years.