Surgical site infection in soft tissue sarcoma: a literature review

introduction: soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a rare group of malignancies, primarily found in extremities, posing complex surgical challenges. surgical management aims to achieve clear margins while preserving limb function, often requiring limb-sparing procedures. surgical site infections (SSIs) are a significant concern post-surgery, potentially impacting wound healing and outcomes. this review seeks to consolidate data on SSIs in STS surgery. evidence acquisition: comprehensive searches were conducted across pubmed, cochrane Library, and Embase databases. original research articles reporting on soft tissue sarcoma surgical interventions with data on surgical site infection were considered. data extraction and analysis were done according to predefined criteria. evidence synthesis: after screening titles and abstracts, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. these studies involved 4037 patients who underwent surgery for soft tissue sarcomas. SSI complicated outcomes in 758 cases (18.8%). the location of sarcomas varied, with incomplete data for estimating infection by site. pathogen details were limited. comorbidities, particularly BMI and age, were reported in some studies, impacting wound complications. however, specifics about reoperations, antibiotic therapy, and timing of surgery were generally lacking in the available data. conclusions: SSI are a significant concern for patients with soft tissue sarcoma. recognizing risk factors and implementing evidence-based prevention strategies are crucial. Further research is recommended to optimize management strategies and outcomes.