A Disaster and Salvage Revisited: Chest Wall Reconstruction (5-Rib Defect) With Gore-Tex, TRAM Flap, and Salvage With Leeches

INTRODUCTION: A chest wall defect after resection of a recurrent desmoid tumor of the right breast was reconstructed with a TRAM flap over a Gore-Tex graft. The tumor had involved 2 ribs, and the wide resection included 5 ribs with a portion of the lateral sternum. METHODS: After the wide resection to effectively manage this aggressive, invasive lesion from the anterior chest of a 42-year-old woman, a 2-mm Gore-Tex graft was directly sewn in place to bridge the defect. A TRAM flap based on the left rectus abdominis muscle was delivered to the right chest to close the defect. RESULTS: The TRAM flap was initially well perfused and adequately reconstructed the chest wall defect. A clinical exam 6 hours after surgery found the flap pink, warm, and healthy. Within 18 hours of surgery, venous congestion of the distal TRAM flap was observed. Because of scarring from previous chest surgery and tightness of the flap, flap adjustment or advancement was not possible. Leech therapy was employed over 4 days. Twenty-six leeches alleviated the venous congestion and produced a persistent oozing that facilitated blood flow and oxygen delivery through hemodilution. The hospital had no established protocol for leech therapy, so there was resistance from the medical and nursing staff. The leeches were kept in the author's home refrigerator and personally driven to the hospital for each application over the 4 days. The leech therapy salvaged the congested flap, and the reconstruction successfully protected the heart and lungs. DISCUSSION: Radical resection of a desmoid tumor was the preferred management in 1993. The application of leeches to a myo-cutaneous flap was a novel approach. The leech therapy proved effective in reducing congestion and salvaging the TRAM flap reconstruction. Hemodilution was induced, which helped with tissue perfusion. Chest reconstruction continued in stages and included a solid silicone pectoralis implant inserted to add a rigid, more protective cover of the heart and lungs. Breast reconstruction with bilateral silicone gel implants produced a result acceptable to the patient. The desmoid tumor has not recurred.

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Historical case revisited: TRAM flap chest wall reconstruction over a 5-rib defect with Gore-Tex graft after desmoid-tumor resection. Twenty-six leeches over 4 days salvaged the venous-congested distal flap via hemodilution-mediated perfusion improvement.

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