Liposuction to debulk the pectoralis major myocutaneous flap

Pectoralis major myocutaneous flaps are very useful for head and neck reconstruction. However, excess bulk in these flaps due to subcutaneous fat can be a disadvantage in oral cavity, oropharyngeal, and cervical esophageal reconstruction. A variety of surgical modifications have been tried in an effort to overcome this problem. Liposuction was proposed by a member of this research group as a means to debulk such flaps. The purpose of this fresh cadaver study was to determine what effect this procedure might have on blood supply to the skin overlying the pectoralis major muscle. Gross and histologic observations suggest that liposuction would not significantly affect the vascular perfusion of these flaps. This report represents a preliminary study previous to a clinical trial using a potentially useful technique. It is hoped by the authors that this report will stimulate others to evaluate it's possible clinical utility.