Human tracheal reconstruction case

We previously described a human case report in which a tracheal defect caused during the surgical management of PTC invading the trachea was reconstructed with a free vascularized ALT myofascial flap⁹. Briefly, a 70-year-old man with a cytology-confirmed PTC invading the tracheal cartilage underwent a total thyroidectomy, central compartment neck dissection, tracheal window resection of the invading trachea (defect size, 35 × 20 mm, from 1^st to 3^rd tracheal ring, more than anterior half), and tracheal reconstruction with an ALT myofascial flap. The fascial side of the ALT was sutured to the tracheal defect, and a small elliptical part of the skin paddle of the ALT was exteriorized between the upper and lower neck skin flaps. Extubation of the endotracheal tube at 12 h after the operation was performed uneventfully. The patient was discharged without severe complications on postoperative day 18. High-dose (150 mCi) radioiodine ablation was performed at 5 months postoperatively. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Yonsei University College of Medicine, and the requirement to obtain informed consent was waived.