Abdominoinguinal incision in resection of pelvic tumors with lateral fixation.

Large tumors in the area of the iliac fossa, external iliac vessels, wall of the lesser pelvis, and pubic bone are often considered unresectable through conventional abdominal incisions due to the lack of exposure, or they are managed with hindquarter amputation. The abdominoinguinal incision provides the necessary exposure for en-bloc resection of many of these tumors. It involves a lower midline incision that is extended transversely to the mid-inguinal point on the side of involvement and then vertically, over the course of the femoral vessels, which are exposed. The rectus abdominis is divided off the pubic crest and the inguinal ligament off the pubic tubercle, and the inferior epigastric vessels are ligated and divided at their origin. This allows in-continuity exposure of the lower abdomen, pelvis, and the groin in one field and dramatically improves the exposure.