title: Internal mammary artery pedicle: a solution for prophylactic flap coverage in high-risk trans-sternal thoracic surgery.
abstract: Prophylactic use of vascularized flaps to buttress and reinforce bronchial or oesophageal closure is nowadays the preferred approach in high-risk cases, especially for extended resections with tracheobronchial reconstructions or after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. However, the majority of these options and techniques are described for an approach through a thoracotomy. Due to anatomical restrictions, these options are less suitable when a trans-sternal approach is used. We emphasize the use of an internal mammary artery pedicle as prophylactic flap coverage in 3 high-risk cases, all operated on through a median sternotomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands w.w.li@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Wilson W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wim Jan
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: van Boven
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Koen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Hartemink
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bas A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: de Mol
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Lung cancer; Lung—other; Oesophagus—other; Surgical therapy