Skin Perforator Flap Pedicled by Intercostal Muscle for Repair of a Tracheobronchoesophageal Fistula.

Abstract

A tracheobronchial fistula (TBF) is a rare complication when an operation is performed to treat esophageal carcinoma; no consensus treatment strategy has emerged. We describe a surgical interposition strategy, using a new flap, to repair a TBF that arose when esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation and minimally invasive esophagectomy (the 3-stage McKeown procedure). We performed a skin perforator flap pedicled by the intercostal muscle. It is a valuable option that may be the optimal first-line treatment, especially in the context of neoadjuvant radiation therapy. Furthermore, this strategy affords new options for intrathoracic reconstruction.