Use of the ipsilateral breast in anterolateral chest wall reconstruction

Summary 

Chest wall ablative surgery often requires autologous tissue transfer to reconstruct the resulting defect. The female breast is commonly of a suitable size to provide anteromedial chest wall coverage as a pedicled dermoglandular flap. In anterolateral defects the latissimus dorsi or serratus anterior flaps are often the preferred choice, in the absence of which free tissue transfer is an alternative technique. However these options may not always be available or suitable.

A 90-year-old female presented with a large chest wall mass in keeping with recurrence of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the thoracotomy scar following a previous oesophagectomy. The latissimus dorsi and serratus anterior muscles were transected during the previous thoracotomy. Following complete resection, the ipsilateral breast was used as a rotational dermoglandular flap to provide coverage over the exposed ribs. The use of breast as a local flap is an alternative option in anterolateral chest wall reconstruction.

Keywords: Breast Flap, Chest wall reconstruction, Pedicled dermoglandular flap