ePoster
Presentation Description
Institution: The Queen Elizabeth Hospital - South Australia, Australia
Background: Locally advanced breast cancer with extensive chest wall invasion often requires en-bloc resection for disease control, resulting in large defects that necessitate complex reconstruction. Standard myocutaneous flaps such as the vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous (VRAM) and transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flaps were not feasible for this case upon considering defect size, patient comorbidities, location, and previous radiation.
Objective: To describe a surgically challenging case of advanced breast cancer requiring debulking and substantial defect coverage, while balancing comorbidities. To highlight the role of a supercharged VRAM flap with TRAM extension in complex chest wall reconstruction.
Case: A 48-year-old female presented with a fungating breast lesion due to aggressive anaplastic metastatic carcinoma involving the pectoralis muscles and lymph nodes. Initial neoadjuvant chemotherapy and palliative radiotherapy failed to prevent disease progression. Following MDT discussion, she underwent left radical mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, employing a supercharged right VRAM flap with TRAM extension.
Conclusion: Supercharged VRAM flap with a TRAM extension is a reliable solution for large post resection chest wall defect without other local reconstructive options. This not only achieved adequate coverage but was also functional and aesthetically acceptable for this patient.
1.Bhattacharya,A&Maitra,D 2022,‘A comparative analysis between vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous (VRAM) flap and transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap as options for post- mastectomy chest wall reconstruction’,European Journal of Cancer,vol.175,no.1,pp.21.
2.Yamamoto,Y,Nohira,K,Shintomi,Y,Sugihara,T&Ohura,T 1994,‘“Turbo charging” the vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous (turbo-VRAM) flap for reconstruction of extensive chest wall defects’,British Journal of Plastic Surgery,vol.47,pp.103-107.
Presenters
Authors
Authors
Dr Yue Min Crystal Phua - , Dr Thilochana Nagolla - , Dr Richard Harries - , Dr Igor Rychlik - , Dr Phoebe Prowse -
