BACKGROUND Chondrosarcoma arising from the sternum is extremely rare and is often untreatable. Removal of the sternum for malignant tumor results in large defects in bone and soft tissue, causing deformity and paradoxical movement of the chest wall and making subsequent repair of the thorax very important. We report a very rare patient with a chondrosarcoma of the sternum who underwent case che...

Many variations of the transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap breast reconstruction have been attempted since the procedure was first described. One common modification involves the use of both rectus muscles, which may accommodate a bilateral reconstruction or provide a more reliable blood supply to a unilateral reconstruction. Objective studies measuring various aspects of p...

In this study, the effects of procedure type, timing, and other clinical variables on complication rates in mastectomy reconstruction were prospectively evaluated. Using a prospective cohort design, women undergoing first-time, immediate or delayed breast reconstruction were recruited from 12 centers and 23 plastic surgeons. Complication data for expander/implant, pedicle transverse rectus abdo...

PURPOSE To evaluate the effects of isoxsuprine and nicotine on TRAM. METHODS Forty eight 48 Wistar rats distributed into four Groups (n=12). All rats received medication managed daily for 20 days: saline solution (SA), nicotine solution (NI), isoxsuprine solution (IS) and nicotine solution (NI) + isoxsuprine solution (IS). On day 21st the rats were submitted to the caudally based, right unipe...

RATIONALE Numerous types of flap coverage have been reported to prevent or to repair bronchopleural fistulas. Most of the flaps were harvested from chest area. However, these pedicled flaps might not be optimal for the patient who has undergone previous radiotherapy on pulmonary parenchyma because the pedicle artery of the flap might have been injured by irradiation. Therefore, an alternative f...

BACKGROUND Functional outcomes in breast reconstruction are important quality measures and aid in patients' decision-making process. To address the concerns of abdominal wall morbidity with transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap reconstructions, the authors prospectively evaluated the long-term effects of postmastectomy breast reconstruction on trunk function using objective c...

BACKGROUND Bilateral breast reconstruction utilising autologous free tissue transfer is a complex procedure with multiple options for donor tissue available. Autogenous breast reconstruction techniques have evolved over the last three decades to meet this goal. The aim of this study was to determine the outcomes of patients undergoing bilateral breast reconstruction with DIEAP, TRAM or SIEA fla...

Breast reconstructive surgery has evolved tremendously since its inception. Following tumour clearance surgery, physical restoration with breast reconstruction is an important aspect of physical and emotional rehabilitation. Various methods have been described to suit patients demand for the best aesthetic outcome. Surgeon's preference, experience and practicality of differing procedures must b...