Enrico Martin

242 Chapter 10 16.7% 48.9% 17.2% 17.2% Surgical Oncology Neurosurgery Plastic Surgery Other Specialties Subspecialty A Overall p<0.001 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Surgical Oncology Neurosurgery Plastic Surgery Other Specialties >5 3−5 2−3 0−1 Annual caseload C Pelvic Retroperitoneal Abdominal (Para−)Spinal Intrathoracic Superficial thoracic Intracranial Head and neck Brachial plexus Extremities 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Tumor sites operated B Figure 2 Demographic distributions of surgical subspecialties. A) Distribution of respondents’ surgical subspecialty B) Distribution of tumor locations operated per subspecialty C) Distribution of annual surgical caseload per subspecialty; p-values: * = <0.05, ** = <0.01, *** = <0.001 . Preferred handling of the transected nerve varied among all subspecialties, but overall did not differ from each other (p>0.05). Plastic surgeons were however least likely to do nothing (11.8%). The preferred method of neuroma prevention is burying the stump in a bone, muscle, or vein (39.3%). Variation exists within all subspecialties, but did not differ from each other (p>0.05). Functional reconstructions Overall, 39.2% always considers functional reconstructions when a motor deficit is anticipated ( Figure 4 ). Plastic surgeons were most likely to always consider functional reconstructions in these cases (66.7%, p<0.05). Functional reconstructions were less commonly considered whenever a sensory deficit was to be anticipated (15.2%). Plastic surgeons were most likely to always consider a functional reconstruction in such a case (33.3%, p<0.05). A total of 14.1% of surgeons did not consider any MPNST patient eligible for functional reconstruction, none of whom were plastic surgeons. Of surgeons that did consider functional reconstructions, preferences for timing of reconstruction differed, but not between subspecialties (p>0.05). Most would reconstruct directly or directly unless adjuvant radiotherapy is administered (62.7%), in which case the reconstruction would be performed after radiotherapy administration. The type of reconstructions