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J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999;117:588-592
© 1999 Mosby, Inc.

GENERAL THORACIC SURGERY

Early And Long-Term Results Of Prosthetic Chest Wall Reconstruction

From the Section of General Thoracic Surgery and Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minn.

Read at the Seventy-eighth Annual Meeting of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Boston, Mass, May 3-6, 1998.

Received for publication May 8, 1998. Revisions requested July 7, 1998. Revisions received Sept 17, 1998. Accepted for publication Nov 24, 1998. Address for reprints: Claude Deschamps, MD, Section of General Thoracic Surgery, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, 200 First St, SW, Rochester, MN 55905.

	Abstract

Top Abstract Introduction Patients and methods Results Discussion Appendix: Discussion References

 
Objective: The purpose of this report is to evaluate our results in patients who underwent prosthetic bony reconstruction after chest wall resection.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent chest wall resection and reconstruction with prosthetic material at the Mayo Clinic.
Results: From January 1, 1977, to December 31, 1992, 197 patients (109 male patients and 88 female patients) underwent chest wall resection and reconstruction with prosthetic material. Median age was 59 years (range, 11-86 years). The indication for resection was recurrent chest wall malignancy in 65 patients (33.0%), primary chest wall malignancy in 62 patients (31.5%), contiguous lung or breast carcinoma in 58 patients (29.4%), and other reasons in 12 patients (6.1%). Three patients (1.5%) each had an open draining wound. This review covers 2 time periods. Sixty-four patients (32.5%) underwent reconstruction with polypropylene mesh during the period from 1977 to 1986. One hundred thirty-three patients (67.5%) underwent reconstruction with polytetrafluoroethylene from 1984 to 1992. Soft tissue coverage was achieved with transposed muscle in 116 patients (58.9%), local tissue in 81 patients (41.1%), and omentum in 3 patients (1.5%). There were 8 deaths (operative mortality rate, 4.1%). Ninety-one patients (46.2%) experienced complications. Seromas occurred in 14 patients (7.1%). Wound infections occurred in 9 patients (4.6%; 5 patients with polypropylene mesh and 4 patients with polytetrafluoroethylene). The prosthesis was removed in all 5 patients with polypropylene mesh and in none of the patients with polytetrafluoroethylene. Follow-up was complete in 179 operative survivors (94.7%) and ranged from 1 to 204 months (median, 26 months). A well-healed asymptomatic wound was present in 127 patients (70.9%).
Conclusions: Chest wall resection and reconstruction with prosthetic material will yield satisfactory results in most patients. Little difference exists between polypropylene mesh and polytetrafluoroethylene.

	Introduction

Top Abstract Introduction Patients and methods Results Discussion Appendix: Discussion References

 
Reconstruction of full-thickness defects of the chest wall is controversial. In small defects the skeletal component can be ignored, and the defect can be closed with only soft tissues. If structural stability is required, however, either autogenous tissue (such as fascia lata or rib) or prosthetic material (such as the various meshes, metals, or soft tissue patches) may be used. Little is known of the morbidity, mortality, and long-term durability rates of prosthetic reconstruction after chest wall resection. The purpose of this review was to evaluate our results in patients undergoing prosthetic bony reconstruction after chest wall resection.

	Patients and methods

Top Abstract Introduction Patients and methods Results Discussion Appendix: Discussion References

 
From January 1, 1977, to December 31, 1992, 197 patients underwent chest wall resection and reconstruction with prosthetic material at the Mayo Clinic. The records of these patients were analyzed for age, sex, preoperative conditions, indications for treatment, type of operation, operative morbidity and mortality rates, late operation, and adjuvant outcome. Follow-up data were obtained from the patients' most recent records and from correspondence with referring physicians. The category operative deaths included both those patients who died within the first 30 days after operation and those who died later but during the same hospitalization. Comparisons between groups were analyzed with a ² test with a Yates correction applied to the P value. Two-way contingency tables were used to determine which clinical factors were associated with outcomes.

There were 197 patients (109 male patients and 88 female patients). The median age was 59 years and ranged from 11 to 86 years. Associated conditions included long-term cigarette smoking in 82 patients, prior radiation therapy in 41 patients, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 29 patients, prior chemotherapy in 27 patients, corticosteroid use in 19 patients, and diabetes in 10 patients. The indication for resection was recurrent chest wall malignancy in 65 patients (33.0%), primary chest wall malignancy in 62 patients (31.5%), contiguous lung cancer in 53 patients (26.9%), contiguous breast cancer in 5 patients (2.5%), desmoid tumor in 5 patients (2.5%), an open draining wound in 3 patients (1.5%), radiation necrosis in 2 patients (1.0%), and costochondritis in 2 patients (1.0%).

Often both ribs and sternum were included in the chest wall resection. The median number of ribs resected was 3 (range, 1-8 ribs). A partial sternectomy was performed in 46 patients (23.4%), and a total sternectomy was performed in 7 patients (3.6%). A portion of the clavicle was removed in 8 patients (4.1%), and 4 patients underwent partial resection of 1 or more vertebral bodies. Fifty-eight patients (29.4%) underwent pulmonary resection, which included lobectomy in 30 patients, pneumonectomy in 13 patients, segmentectomy or wedge excision in 11 patients, and bilobectomy in 4 patients. Other associated operations included a mastectomy, bilateral removal of breast implants, removal of a previously placed Marlex mesh (Bard Cardiosurgery, Billerica, Mass), and a thymectomy in 1 patient each.

This review covers 2 time periods. Skeletal reconstruction was achieved with Prolene mesh (PM; Ethicon, Inc, Somerville, NJ) in 64 patients (32.5%) during the period from 1977 to 1986. A 2-mm thick polytetrafluoroethylene* (PTFE) soft tissue patch was used in 133 patients (67.5%) from 1984 to 1992. These time periods reflect the senior surgeons' (P.C.P. and P.G.A.) prosthetic material of choice for the interval involved. Soft tissue coverage was achieved with transposed muscle in 116 patients, local tissue only in 78 patients, and omentum in 3 patients. Muscles transposed included latissimus dorsi in 45 patients, pectoralis major in 44 patients, serratus anterior in 15 patients, external oblique in 6 patients, rectus abdominis in 4 patients, trapezius in 1 patient, and internal oblique in 1 patient.

	Results

Top Abstract Introduction Patients and methods Results Discussion Appendix: Discussion References

 
The 2 groups of patients (PM and PTFE) were similar for age, diagnosis, previous treatment and associated conditions, extent of resection, hospitalization, and follow-up. The proportion of women was significantly higher in the PM group (P = .034). Postoperative complication occurred in 91 patients (46.2%) (Table I). Wound seromas occurred in 10 patients with PTFE and in 4 patients with PM; none developed a wound infection. Twelve seromas were small and resolved, 6 spontaneously and 6 after repeated aspirations. The condition of the remaining 2 patients (both with PTFE) required wound explorations and obliteration of the cavity with eventual healing. Wound infections occurred in 9 patients (5 patients with PM and 4 patients with PTFE). The 3 patients who had a contaminated wound before the operation experienced the development of a postoperative infection. All 3 patients had undergone chest wall reconstruction with PM; in each patient, the PM was later removed, but at that point (13 to 64 days) the underlying lung had adhered to the chest wall, preventing open pneumothorax. Thus no further skeletal reconstruction was performed. In addition, the PM was removed in 2 other patients with wound infections. In contrast, the wounds in the 4 patients with PTFE were opened, debrided, and packed with gauze. All 4 wounds were closed by secondary intent, and all wounds were healed by the time of hospital dismissal. There were 8 operative deaths (mortality rate, 4.1%). All of the deaths occurred in patients who had concurrent pulmonary resection.

Follow-up was complete in 179 operative survivors (94.7%) and ranged from 1 to 204 months (median, 26 months). Sixty-six patients (36.9%) are currently alive. Cause of death in the remaining 113 patients was recurrent malignancy in 65 patients, causes unrelated to the original chest wall condition in 15 patients, and unknown in 33 patients. At last follow-up or at the time of death, 127 patients (70.9%) had a well-healed, asymptomatic chest wall. An additional 43 patients (24.0%) initially also had a well-healed chest but subsequently experienced chest wall local cancer recurrences. The status of the wound was unknown in the remaining 8 patients.

The local cancer recurrence was breast carcinoma in 24 patients, chondrosarcoma in 5 patients, other sarcoma in 7 patients, lung carcinoma in 2 patients, desmoid tumor in 2 patients, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin in 1 patient, malignant pleural mesothelioma in 1 patient, and metastatic hypernephroma in 1 patient. Six patients with local recurrence underwent reoperation at a median of 18 months after the initial chest wall resection (range, 8-21 months). The chest wall was again resected, and a PTFE patch was used for reconstruction in all 6 patients. At follow-up, 4 of these patients who underwent reoperation for local recurrence experienced a second local recurrence; the remaining 2 patients were asymptomatic with a well-healed chest wall. None of the 9 patients who experienced a postoperative wound infection had further evidence of infection. All had a healed wound without drainage. One other patient required reduction mammoplasty because of a breast deformity attributed to the chest wall reconstruction.

Factors affecting long-term outcome were analyzed. Preoperative chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, oral corticosteroid, diabetes, smoking history, presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, histologic type, and type of prosthesis did not significantly affect the incidence of seroma, wound infection, length of hospitalization, local cancer recurrence, and other complications. Similarly, the extent of rib or sternal resection had no effect on postoperative morbidity and deaths. However, associated pulmonary resection had an adverse effect on operative deaths (P = .0002).

	Discussion

Top Abstract Introduction Patients and methods Results Discussion Appendix: Discussion References

 
Defects of the chest wall almost always occur as a result of neoplasm (primary or recurrent), radiation injury, infection, or trauma. Chest wall defects produced by excision of most neoplasms result in loss of the skeleton and frequently the overlying soft tissues as well. Radiation injury, infection, and trauma produce partial or full-thickness defects, depending on their severity. Not uncommonly, various combinations of these afflictions occur in the same patient, and management of these problems often becomes problematic. The surgeon is eager to obtain wide margins and rid the patient of all possible malignant, contaminated, or irradiated tissue while leaving a defect that can be closed to maintain life itself. A thorough knowledge of reconstructive techniques with a clear operative plan that includes a "secondary or fallback" procedure, if possible, is most desirable. We believe that this dilemma is best managed by the combined efforts of both a thoracic and plastic surgeon. ^1-5

Reconstruction of the bony chest wall is controversial. Differences of opinion exist about who should undergo reconstruction and what type of reconstruction should be done. ^6-13 In general, all full-thickness skeletal defects that have the potential for paradox should be reconstructed. The decision not to reconstruct the skeleton depends on the size and location of the defect. Defects less than 5 cm in greatest diameter anywhere on the thorax are usually not reconstructed. Posterior defects less than 10 cm likewise do not require reconstruction because the overlying scapula provides support, unless they are located at the tip of the scapula where entrapment of the scapula can occur during movement of the arm.

The choice of prosthetic material is confusing. Numerous prostheses exist, and all of them work reasonably well. ^12,14 For the most part, the choice is based on surgeon's preference. We tend to use either PM or PTFE and believe that both materials are contraindicated in contaminated wounds, unless the surgeon thinks that the patient cannot undergo extubation without this additional support. PM is more difficult than PTFE to stretch and suture without wrinkles and surface irregularities and does not achieve a watertight seal of the pleural space. PTFE, in contrast, is much easier to suture, stretch, and mold into the wound and provides a barrier that prevents fluid and air from moving between the pleural and subcutaneous space. We secure the patch with heavy interrupted nonabsorbable sutures, which are placed either through or around the ribs. PTFE, however, must be 2-mm thick because the 1-mm thickness does not hold sutures well at the tension needed to stabilize the chest wall. For these reasons PTFE became our prosthesis of choice in the mid 1980s. However, this review demonstrated that the use of PTFE to reconstruct the chest wall did not translate into a reduced rate of seromas, wound infections, and other postoperative complications.

Suction drains are more often used in conjunction with muscle flaps, when dead space and raw surface are significant. They are left in place usually until daily drainage is less than 25 mL per drain. Small seromas are best managed with observation because most will resolve eventually. When the seromas are large or symptomatic, aspiration under strict aseptic conditions offers the best treatment option. Surgical obliteration of the seroma cavity was rarely necessary in our experience. With this approach, none of the seromas in our patients progressed to wound infections.

Early in our experience, several prostheses were placed in contaminated wounds, which led to subsequent wound infections; the prostheses were removed in all of these cases. As experience was gained, we avoided placing a prosthesis in a contaminated wound, and we became confident in leaving the prosthesis in situ in a subsequent wound infection if the prosthesis was incorporated by granulation tissue at the level of insertion to the chest wall. Combining this approach with intensive wound debridement and frequent dressing changes, the prosthesis was salvaged in the last one half of this review in all patients who experienced the development of a wound infection. Equally as important, none of these patients with salvaged prostheses experienced the development of a late wound infection or a draining sinus tract.

Soft tissue reconstraction with local tissue, if possible, offers the simplest and most practical method of covering the prosthesis. If local tissue is not available, muscle transposition is the tissue of choice for coverage, with the omentum being reserved as back-up if muscle transposition has failed or if no muscle is available. ^1-2 Skin grafts are used where appropriate.

We conclude that chest wall resection and reconstruction with prosthetic material will yield satisfactory results in most patients and that little difference exists between skeletal reconstruction with PM or PTFE. The decision of which prosthesis to use remains the surgeon's choice.

	Appendix: Discussion

Top Abstract Introduction Patients and methods Results Discussion Appendix: Discussion References

 
Dr Erino A. Rendina (Rome, Italy). You and your colleagues have reported on a very large series of patients undergoing chest wall reconstruction by prosthetic material, which might well be the largest clinical review of this problem reported in the literature to date. Excellent follow-up was obtained in almost 95% of the patients; however, the cause of death is unknown in 33 of 113 patients. Do you think that this information would alter our comprehension of the problem or modify your conclusions?

Patients who experienced wound infection were treated differently in that those patients who had PM underwent removal of the prosthesis, although those patients with PTFE were treated conservatively. Also, in 3 cases preoperative contamination led to postoperative infection. Would you comment on these 2 issues? Would you recommend the use of 1 specific prosthetic material when dealing with an infected operative field?

Also, there is increasing evidence in the literature that the omentum offers precious aid in the reconstruction of the chest wall, yet it was used in only 3 patients.

Finally, could you also comment on the present status of rigid prosthetic material such as methyl methacrylate mesh, which was not used in this series?

Dr Deschamps. Concerning the 33 patients for whom the cause of death was unknown, we can assume that most of those patients died of cancer. That is an operation that is mainly palliative. If you look, we did not show any survival, but many patients died of cancer within 5 years (secondary cancer, breast cancer). Considering that this is a palliative procedure and that we have achieved a goal of palliating a bad chest wall situation, I do not think that 33 unknown deaths would cause any big change in our conclusion.

Why did we remove the prosthesis at the beginning of the experience? I think that, if you talk to Drs Pairolero and Arnold, it was probably at the beginning and that was one factor, the inexperience of placing 3 Prolene prostheses in infected wounds; the 3 wounds got infected and the prostheses needed to be removed. The confidence of the surgeons built up over the years, and we discovered that we now can leave a PTFE prosthesis in place. PTFE has become our prosthesis of choice because it is impervious to air and fluid. It is easy to manipulate; it is easy to place in the chest wall; it has good rigidity, and it does not wrinkle like Prolene material. On the other hand, I think today in an infected wound, we could leave, in certain circumstances, a PM. If it is well incorporated and the wound is not completely falling apart, there is a chance that PM will survive. We just do not use it at the present time.

We certainly would not put a prosthesis, in any circumstances, in an infected wound. If we think that the stabilization of the chest wall is needed, we will use a rib graft. We will not use any foreign material in an infected wound.

We do not use omentum, but it is not a bad thing to use. It is a great back-up but it is not our first choice. We have used it 3 times. We think it is convenient to use the muscle of the chest wall. It is always there; it is close to the incision; you save an incision.

What do we think of methyl methacrylate? We do not use it and I do not think we will start. We know that other groups had good experience, and we cannot say we have removed many of those infected prostheses coming from outside, although we have removed some. However, we have no experience placing methyl methacrylate.

Dr G. Alexander Patterson (St Louis, Mo). There were 13 or 14 patients who underwent pneumonectomy, and there were 8 postoperative deaths. How many of those patients undergoing pneumonectomy died?

Dr Deschamps. Four. Pneumonectomy was a factor. One half of the postoperative deaths occurred in patients who had a pneumonectomy.

Dr Mark K. Ferguson (Chicago, Ill). Could you give us some idea of the technical factors involved in putting these prostheses in? How much tension do you like to use, and how do you get them attached to the ribs?

The second question has to do with some of the patients who had a single rib resected and yet apparently required reconstruction. Did those patients have a sternectomy also?

Dr Deschamps. First we stretch the PTFE so that it looks like a drum and feels like a drum. It is attached with a single Prolene suture and in some cases a running suture to secure the periphery of it. We try to go through the rib rather than through the muscle only, because the muscle gets torn. We go through the rib if we can with a large needle, or we pierce the rib with a special punch to try to get the suture through the rib and secure the PTFE patch solidly in the chest wall. We try to stretch it like a drum.

The patient from whom only 1 rib was removed had a sternal resection, and it was considered a large sternal resection. Even Dr Arnold will tell you that most sternal resections alone do not necessitate a prosthesis. We have done some, and those were in patients who underwent a sternal resection and had a rib removed.

	Footnotes

 
*Gore-Tex patch; registered trade mark of W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc, Flagstaff, Ariz.

	References

Top Abstract Introduction Patients and methods Results Discussion Appendix: Discussion References

 

1. Pairolero PC, Arnold PG. Thoracic wall defects: surgical management of 205 consecutive patients. Mayo Clin Proc 1986;61:557-63. [Medline]
   
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4. Arnold PG, Pairolero PC. Surgical management of the radiated chest wall. Plast Reconstr Surg 1986;77:605-12. [Medline]
   
5. Arnold PG, Pairolero PC. Chest wall reconstruction: experience with 100 consecutive patients. Ann Surg 1984;199:725-32. [Medline]
   
6. Soysal O, Walsh GL, Nesbitt JC, et al. Resection of sternal tumors: extent, reconstruction, and survival. Ann Thorac Surg 1995;60:1353-9. [Abstract/Free Full Text]
   
7. McCormack P, Bains MS, Beattie EJ Jr, et al. New trends in skeletal reconstruction after resection of chest wall tumors. Ann Thorac Surg 1981;31:45-52. [Abstract]
   
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10. Kroll SS, Walsh G, Ryan B, et al. Risks and benefits of using Marlex mesh in chest wall reconstruction. Ann Plast Surg 1993;31:303-6. [Medline]
    
11. Economou SG, Southwick HW. The repair of thoracic wall defects with sliding rib grafts. J Thorac Surg 1958;36:112-6.
    
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