The Deltopectoral/Internal Mammary Artery Perforator Flap Revisited Design Variations Based on Cadaveric and Clinical Investigation

Current understanding of the vascular anatomy of the anterior chest wall suggests that perfusion of the deltopectoral flap may be compromised when crossing the midline at the anterior thoracic wall. The traditional deltopectoral flap is designed longitudinally over the ipsilateral side to avoid the risk of distal flap necrosis. The purpose of this article is to present our experience and results with 26 deltopectoral flaps that were designed and raised with the perforating vessels on the ipsilateral side with the majority of the flap crossing the midline extending to the contralateral side. This anatomic variation in flap design indicates that the sternal midline is not a barrier and that the internal mammary perforator flap may be raised on different longitudinal axes.