title: Posterior trunk reconstruction with the dorsal intercostal artery perforator based flap: Clinical experience on 20 consecutive oncological cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies in the recent literature have investigated the reliability of dorsal intercostal artery perforator (DICAP) flap in posterior trunk reconstruction. The purpose of this report is to describe our clinical experience with the use of DICAP flaps in a cohort of oncological patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients underwent posterior trunk reconstruction with DICAP based flaps. Patients age ranged from 45 to 76 years. All defects resulted from skin cancer ablation. Defect sizes ranged from 4 × 4 to 6 × 8 cm. The flaps were mobilized in V-Y or propeller fashion. The flaps were islanded on 1 (12 cases), 2 (6 cases), or 3 (2 cases) perforators. Donor sites were always closed primarily.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven V-Y advancement flaps were performed; one of these was converted to a perforator-plus peninsular flap design, which retained an additional source of blood supply from the opposite skin bridge. Nine flaps were mobilized in propeller fashion. Flap dimensions ranged from 4 × 6 to 6 × 14 cm. Mean operative time was 70 min. One V-Y flap complicated with marginal necrosis that healed with no need for reintervention. All the other flaps survived uneventfully. No other complications were observed at recipient and donor sites. Follow-up ranged from 3 months to 2 years. All the patients were satisfied with the surgical outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DICAP based flaps proved to be a reliable option to resurface posterior trunk defects following oncological resection, allowing to achieve like-with-like reconstruction with excellent contour and minimal donor-site morbidity. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 36:546-551, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, "Campus Bio-Medico Di Roma" University, Rome, Italy. b.brunetti@unicampus.it.
authors.forename: Beniamino
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brunetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, "Campus Bio-Medico Di Roma" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tenna
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, "Campus Bio-Medico Di Roma" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Achille
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aveta
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, "Campus Bio-Medico Di Roma" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Poccia
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, "Campus Bio-Medico Di Roma" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Segreto
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, "Campus Bio-Medico Di Roma" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cerbone
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, "Campus Bio-Medico Di Roma" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Persichetti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018219:Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D061525:Perforator Flap / Q000098:blood supply; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012272:Ribs / Q000098:blood supply; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D060726:Torso; D016896:Treatment Outcome