Article
Tracheal reconstruction with supraclavicular osteocutan island flap
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Published: | April 4, 2012 |
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Authors present a case of a 52-year-old female patient, who underwent an urgenttracheostomy because of life threatening heavy breathing. Later total thyreoidectomy was carried out. The atypical tracheostomy required to be closed, also in case of a trachealinstability the missing anterior wall had to be reconstructed with rigid tissue. The authorsdecided to prepare a supraclavicular artery osteocutaneous flap. We harvested from theshoulder, an island flap, a thin bone chip was taken from the clavicle, and after founding thevessel, the flap was placed in the defect. The bone chip was sutured to the trachea wall. Thedonor site was closed primarily. After reviewing the literature we propose to use this flap in awide range of cases. Not only the satisfactory functional and cosmetic result, but also the factthat the donor site does not need skin grafting may take this flap more popular.