Surgical complications in pediatric surgical oncology

Rates of surgical complications in pediatric oncological patients increase with the extension of tumor surgery. Especially in advanced tumors this can mean a relevant challenge to surgeons: The balance between risk of complications and success of surgical treatment is often difficult to accomplish. As a consequence, surgeons not only need profound knowledge about resection techniques and surgical standard procedures but they also have to be able to control and manage surgical complications during and after surgery. This article highlights background and spectrum as well as management of selected surgical complications during or after surgery for abdominal pediatric solid tumors. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012;59:398404. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.