Surgery for Retroperitoneal Tumors in the Lower Abdomen

Abstract

The lower abdomen is comprised of the left lower abdomen, right lower abdomen, and bilateral iliac fossa, with the horizontal line over the umbilicus as the upper boundary and true pelvic inlet as the lower boundary. Lower abdominal retroperitoneal structure includes the lower section of the abdominal aorta and iliac artery and lower segment of the inferior vena cava and bilateral iliac vein, bilateral ureters, and bilateral retroperitoneal muscle nerves. Ileocecum and ascending colon are located in the right lower quadrant whereas descending colon and sigmoid colon in the left lower quadrant. The retroperitoneal tumors (RPTs) in the lower abdomen can involve all of the above structures which may require resection during surgery, making the procedure extremely challenging.