Reconstruction of a major abdominal and chest wall defect using latissimus dorsi and extended deep inferior epigastric artery flap.

Abstract

Large defects of the chest and abdominal cavity are a challenging reconstructive problem. We present reconstruction of a major chest and abdominal wall defect in a patient who had recurrent chondrosarcoma. The defect extended from just below the nipple almost to the umbilicus, and measured 28 x 30 cm. An "extended" latissimus dorsi muscle flap and extended deep inferior epigastric artery flap were used for reconstruction of the defect. A 1-year follow-up of the patient is presented.