PURPOSE: To determine the frequency of use of surgical flaps--tissue that is transposed from its normal location to promote healing and prevent complications--in noncardiac thoracic surgery and to demonstrate the typical radiologic appearances of such flaps. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The surgical records of 200 patients who underwent thoracotomy or median sternotomy for noncardiac thoracic surgery were reviewed. Postoperative radiologic studies of randomly selected cases were also reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 213 surgical flaps were used in these patients, including 80 pericardial fat pad flaps (37.6%), 78 greater omental flaps (36.6%), 21 intercostal muscle flaps (9.9%), 16 anterior serratus muscle flaps (7.5%), and 18 greater pectoral muscle, latissimus dorsi muscle, pleural, thymic, or mediastinal fat flaps (8.5%). The flaps produced unusual opacity or attenuation and/or contour of the mediastinum, hilum, or chest wall. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of common thoracic surgical flaps is helpful in interpretation of postoperative radiologic studies.
PURPOSE: To determine the frequency of use of surgical flaps--tissue that is transposed from its normal location to promote healing and prevent complications--in noncardiac thoracic surgery and to demonstrate the typical radiologic appearances of such flaps. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The surgical records of 200 patients who underwent thoracotomy or median sternotomy for noncardiac thoracic surgery were reviewed. Postoperative radiologic studies of randomly selected cases were also reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 213 surgical flaps were used in these patients, including 80 pericardial fat pad flaps (37.6%), 78 greater omental flaps (36.6%), 21 intercostal muscle flaps (9.9%), 16 anterior serratus muscle flaps (7.5%), and 18 greater pectoral muscle, latissimus dorsi muscle, pleural, thymic, or mediastinal fat flaps (8.5%). The flaps produced unusual opacity or attenuation and/or contour of the mediastinum, hilum, or chest wall. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of common thoracic surgical flaps is helpful in interpretation of postoperative radiologic studies.