[A clinical analysis of the patients with chest wall reconstruction]

Twenty-three patients underwent chest wall reconstruction in our department. The underlying disease was bronchial carcinoma in 14, urachus tumor in 2, breast cancer in 1, renal cancer in 1, thymic Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1, tuberculosis in 1, fibrosarcoma in 1, and pseudoaneurysm of the aortic arch caused by reconstructed material in 1. An average of 3.4 ribs were resected in 18 patients and sternectomies were performed in 5. Chest wall reconstruction was performed with Marlex mesh in 14, Marlex mesh with methyl methacrylate in 5, Marlex mesh with steel wire in 1, Marlex mesh with omentopexy in 1, Marlex mesh with A-O plate in 1, and net formation with catgut in 1. There was no operative death. Postoperative wound infection occurred in only 1 patient with Marlex mesh cleaned by irrigation and administration of antibiotics. Three patients with Marlex mesh and metyl methacrylate required removal of the prosthetic material postoperatively because of wound infection in 1, seroma in 1, and dislocation of the former reconstructed material in 1. One patient with Marlex mesh and steel wire had protrusion of the wire under the skin and the wire was removed. Eleven patients of lung cancer died at 2-17 months after surgery. In conclusion, chest wall reconstruction with Marlex mesh had excellent results, and chest wall resection and reconstruction for malignancy could be good palliation.