[Reconstruction procedure for full-thickness chest wall defects]

Abstract

Reconstruction of full-thickness chest wall defects after the total layer resection of the chest wall has been performed on 6 cases. Five of 6 cases had local recurrent of breast carcinoma, one case had a recurrent liposarcoma in the chest wall. The reconstruction procedure of skeletal chest wall used to double soft Marlex mesh. The soft tissue layer of the chest wall was reconstructed with myocutaneous flaps in five cases (four cases using latissimus dorsi, one case using rectus abdominis), with omental pedicle graft and free skin flap in one case. Minor wound complications occurred in 2 in the 6 cases, one case had myocutaneous flap using rectus abdominis, the other case using omental pedicle flap, but any postoperative complications including respiratory insufficiency was not seen with myocutaneous flap using latissimus dorsi. The latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap was most suitable to cover the soft tissue layer of the chest. We confirmed that Marlex mesh and latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap were able to reconstructed for large defects of full-thickness chest wall involving the sternum, there were best approach to reconstruction full-thickness chest wall defects after total layer chest wall resection.