In literature, little is discussed on this topic and surgical strategies are not indicated to repair the vascular pedicle in order to avoid flap failure preserving reconstruction outcome. The authors present their experience on intraoperative vascular pedicle damage and develop an algorithmic approach regarding types of vascular pedicle damage and available options to repair them in attempt to salvage the flap. From Fluorouracil March 2003 to August 2012, 209

patients (mean age 48 years, range 26–78) underwent breast reconstruction with LD flap at our institution; among these 186 cases were treated for immediate reconstruction and 23 cases for delayed one. TD pedicle damage by the general surgeon occurred in five cases, three of which were found during immediate reconstruction and two were observed in patients who underwent prior surgery. Patients’ data are shown selleck in Table 1. Thoracodorsal vein (TDV) injury was found in four cases. Among them, two were cauterized in their proximal segment; one was longitudinally damaged while a ligature completely occluding the TDV was observed in the last one. In another case both thoracodorsal artery

and vein (TDA and TDV) were cauterized in their proximal segment for about 2 cm. In case of TDV cauterization injury, 1 cm was resected and the end-to-end anastomosis was performed between proximal stump of TDV and the circumflex scapular vein (CSV), while microsurgical repair was carried out in case of sharply damage. The extensive occlusion of TDV required sectioning TD pedicle and conversion to free flap, re-vascularising the flap with an end-to-end anastomoses selleck kinase inhibitor to internal mammary vessels (IMV). Injury of both TDA and TDV required resection of 3 cm of their length; artery was repaired by direct anastomosis while the vein was anastomosed to CSV after its transposition. On a series of 209 patients who underwent reconstruction with

LD flap, TD pedicle has been damaged during axillae dissection by the general surgeon in five cases (2.4%), and different microsurgical techniques were used in attempt to salvage the flaps and outcomes of breast reconstruction. Total flap survival occurred in all case of TDV damage. Among them, in one case a venous congestion of LD flap resulted in a rippling phenomenon to the inferior-medial quadrant. Major complications such as partial flap ischemia developed only in the case of injury of both artery and vein, which required subtotal muscle resection and sub-pectoral prosthesis positioning leading to severe breast asymmetry and shape distortion. Each reconstructive procedure has its own particular indications and limitations and their misunderstanding may lead to suboptimal outcomes.