Lower back reconstruction: an approach to wound closure in the cancer patient

Repair of the lower back wound in the patient with cancer presents the surgeon with a plethora of challenges. Frequently, the wide range of the surgeon's armamentarium of flaps must be used to provide stable wound coverage. We present the reconstruction techniques used in five patients with cancer who had lower back wounds below T10 and of at least 100 cm2. The approach we used to evaluate the lower back wound and to determine surgical techniques and options for reconstruction is discussed.