Analysis of frequency of pulmonary atelectasis in patients undergoing pectoralis major musculocutaneous flap reconstruction

✍ Scribed by Dr. David E. Schuller; Dr. Robert L. Daniels; Dr. Mark King; Dr. Steve Houser

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 422 KB
• Volume: 16
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1043-3074
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.2880160107

✦ Synopsis

The incidence of pulmonary atelectasis following head and neck surgery is not well reported. This study retrospectively evaluated the incidence of pulmonary atelectasis in 161 head and neck cancer patients, with 152 being evaluable. There were 90 patients evaluated following pectoralis musculocutaneous flap reconstruction with their effective flap size and 71 nonflap patients as a control group. Clinical findings were correlated to radiographic scores. Of pectoralis musculocutaneous flap patients screened for preexisting pulmonary disease (PEPD), nine of 45 (20%) demonstrated pulmonary atelectasis in the first 24 hours compared with 10 of 39 or 25.6% nonflap controls. Major pulmonary atelectasis was not found in the pectoralis musculocutaneous flap patients by scoring criteria, and in only one of 39 (2.6%) nonflap patients. In flaps larger than 40 cm2, the incidence was eight of 37