Internal mammary pedicle for head-and-neck reconstruction

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Head and Neck Surgery
• Reconstructive Surgery

Background:

• Recurrent head and neck cancer poses significant reconstructive challenges.
• Vessel depletion in free-flap reconstruction for these cases is technically demanding.
• Existing literature on this specific reconstructive technique is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a key-point approach for free-flap reconstruction using internal mammary pedicle.
• To address the technical difficulties associated with vessel depletion in head and neck cancer recurrence.
• To present preliminary results and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this method.

Main Methods:

• Detailed description of the surgical technique for harvesting the internal mammary artery and vein.
• Application of the free-flap reconstruction in three patients with recurrent head and neck cancer.
• Intraoperative and postoperative outcome assessment.

Main Results:

• Successful free-flap reconstruction was achieved in all three reported cases.
• The internal mammary pedicle provided a viable option for reconstruction.
• Specific challenges and benefits related to vessel depletion were observed and documented.

Conclusions:

• Free-flap reconstruction utilizing the internal mammary pedicle is a feasible, albeit challenging, option for recurrent head and neck cancer.
• This technical note provides valuable insights into managing vessel depletion in complex reconstructive scenarios.
• Further studies are warranted to fully establish the role and long-term outcomes of this technique.