Chest wall resection and reconstruction

Chest wall reconstruction has been refined and expanded in recent years so that almost any defect may be repaired with an excellent cosmetic and physiological result. The first step in a good reconstruction is an appropriate and thorough resection that leaves healthy, viable margins to which the materials and tissues used in a reconstruction may be anchored securely. In most instances, chest wall stabilization will not be necessary. In some cases in which large areas of chest wall will be removed or a lateral aspect of a chest wall needs to be resected, stabilization may be necessary. Stabilization may also be required in patients who suffer from debilitating lung disease and need a chest wall resection and reconstruction. Soft tissue coverage completes the reconstruction by moving healthy, viable tissue to fill the defect. In most instances, pedicled muscular, musculocutaneous, and omental flaps will provide adequate soft tissue coverage. Very infrequently, a free flap will be necessary to achieve total closure of a chest wall defect. The soft tissue coverage is completed by using meshed, split thickness skin grafts to provide epithelialization of any exposed muscle or omentum.