Change of paradigm in thoracic radionecrosis management

Classically, muscular or omental flaps are the gold standard in the management of thoracic defects following radionecrosis debridement. Their vascular supply and antibacterial property was supposed to enhance healing compared with cutaneous flaps. The evolution of reconstructive surgery allowed us to challenge this dogma. Therefore, we present five consecutive cases of thoracic radionecrosis reconstructed with cutaneous perforator flaps. In four patients, we performed a free deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap and one patient had a thoracodorsal perforator (TDAP) flap. Median time healing was 22.6 days with satisfactory cutaneous covering and good aesthetic results. There were no flap necrosis, no donor site complications. We believe that perforator flaps are a new alternative, reliable and elegant option that questions the dogma of muscular flaps in the management of thoracic radionecrosis.