PELVIC DISTRACTION TO IMPROVE EXPOSURE IN RADICAL SURGERY FOR PELVIC TUMORS IN CHILDREN

We describe one patient who had public osteotomy and three who had sym physiotomy as an aid to radical tumour resections over the last 7 year s. In each case it was possible to distract the pelvis so improving ac cess to the tumour, All four patients had pelvic rhabdomyosercomata, t hree primarily in the , three primarily in the prostate and lower blad der and one was a large tumour filling tile pelvis, probably of Bladde r origin, No immediate or long-term complications of the procedure occ urred, and in the two patients who died (2.5 years and 1 year post-sur gery) or in the two survivors.