Background: The pectoralis major musculocutaneous (PMMC) flap is a versatile and commonly used technique for reconstruction of the head and neck in patients at high risk in free tissue transfer procedures. In this report, a “supercharged” PMMC flap, in which the lateral thoracic artery was cut, preserved, and anastomosed to the cervical vessels, was developed to stabilize blood flow.
Methods: The supercharged PMMC flap was introduced in a patient who was at high risk for partial necrosis of the flap and underwent surgery for reconstruction of the tongue. Intraoperative perfusion monitoring using laser-assisted indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) was also performed to verify the status of blood flow in the flap.
Results: ICGA monitoring of blood flow in the flap revealed instability. Subsequently, a supercharged PMMC flap was applied, which prevented partial necrosis of the flap.
Conclusions: Combined with ICGA, a supercharged PMMC flap contributed to successful reconstruction in a patient at high risk for necrosis of the flap region.
