Total arm flap: an alternative method of chest-wall reconstruction.

A highly unusual method of reconstruction was used to advantage following a massive pectoral chest-wall tumor resection that entailed unavoidable section of the subclavian and axillary vessels and the cords of the brachial plexus, irretrievably encased by tumor in the axilla. Since leaving the defunctionalized upper limb in place would have served no purpose, utilization of the total arm flap became the method of choice for an easy, reliable reconstruction for this particular defect.