Background: The use of diaphragmatic pedicle flaps for reconstructive procedures in thoracic surgery is not very popular. Nevertheless, it provides considerable advantages.
Methods: Our experience covers 10 years (1987-1997) with a total of 25 patients in whom the diaphragmatic flap was used for different purposes. In 6 patients we used the diaphragmatic flap to protect the bronchopleural fistula at its early onset, which was not beyond 12 hours from the clinical diagnosis. We performed prophylactic suture protection after neoadjuvant therapy in 9 high-risk patients who underwent pneumonectomy and in 2 who underwent sleeve lobectomy. Postpneumonectomy pericardial defect repair was performed in 4 patients. In another 4 patients the diaphragmatic flap was used after spontaneous (n = 2) and iatrogenic (n = 2) lesions of the esophagus after 24 to 72 hours.
Results: No perioperative mortality was recorded. Complications were mainly related to the severe preoperative conditions of the patients: arrhythmia, respiratory insufficiency, and empyema. We report only 2 cases of minimal persistent bleeding from the chest tube, which spontaneously ceased. For those patients who survived for more than 1 year (n = 11), no diaphragmatic hernias were recorded. Bronchopleural fistulas and pericardial defects healed in all instances. The diaphragmatic flap was also effective in bronchopleural fistula. A late fistula caused by cancer relapse at the bronchial stump developed in only one patient. Excellent repair was achieved in all patients with esophageal lesions.
Conclusions: We conclude that the diaphragmatic flap can be considered a practical, safe, and redundant material particularly indicated for defect or fistula closure and for suture line protection in the thoracic cavity.