Reconstruction using a divided latissimus dorsi muscle flap after conventional posterolateral thoracotomy and the effectiveness of indocyanine green-fluorescence angiography to assess intraoperative blood flow.

PURPOSE: In most general thoracic operations performed via standard posterolateral thoracotomy, such as for descending aortic aneurysms and lung cancer, the latissimus dorsi (LD) muscle is divided. However, division of the LD can hamper reconstructive surgery because the initial operation creates unstable blood flow to the divided LD. We conducted this study to assess blood flow in a divided distal LD muscle flap using intraoperative indocyanine green-fluorescence angiography (ICG-FA) with the Hyper Eye Medical System(®) (Mizuho Medical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan).

METHODS: The subjects were 11 patients who underwent posterolateral thoracotomy with reconstructive surgery using a divided distal LD and other peripheral muscle flaps. Intraoperative ICG-FA was conducted to assess blood flow to the LD.

RESULTS: Intraoperative ICG-FA revealed that at least two intercostal perforators from the sixth to the tenth intercostal spaces were preserved as feeding vessels to the divided distal LD. There were no major complications associated with inadequate blood flow to the muscle flaps.

CONCLUSION: Intraoperative ICG-FA proved extremely useful for assessing altered blood flow of the divided LD and for selecting preserved intercostal perforators.