10-Year Experience with the Modified Pectoralis Major Flap: The Use of the Deltopectoral Flap to Reduce Skin Tension

Purpose: Pectoralis major myocutaneous flap has been the work horse flap for head and neck reconstruction. However, due to the bulky nature of the pedicle it is not uncommon to struggle to achieve tension free closure of the neck skin incision. This case series presents a modified pectoralis major flap technique to overcome the difficulty of tight closure or the need to graft the residual cutaneous defect. Method: This 10-year study includes 73 patients who underwent modified pectoralis major flap reconstruction for complex laryngo-pharyngeal defects following resection of tumours involving larynx, hypopharynx oropharynx and cervical oesophagus. The modified technique involves accommodating a deltopectoral fasciocutaneous flap which rotates over the pedicle to insert into the neck incision providing extra tissue to achieve a tension free closure. Results: 73 patients underwent the procedure, 80% were male. Mean age of patients was 62.8years. Larynx was the most common site and the average size of the tumour was 34.8 mm. 13 patients developed minor complications such as wound dehiscence out of which 10 were managed conservatively, 3 patients required additional reconstructive procedures. 13 patients developed pharyngocutaneous fistula and 6 developed Neopharyngeal stenosis. 51 patients achieved good swallowing and 55 developed intelligible speech following recovery. Conclusion: We recommend the use of this technique as an effective method to achieve tension free neck incision closure and improved cosmetic results especially in centres which do not have free flap facility readily available.     

Mycobacterium abscessus Complex Identification with Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry

We determined that the Vitek MS Plus matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry using research-use-only (RUO) v.4.12 and in vitro-diagnostic (IVD) v.3.0 databases accurately identified 41 Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. abscessus and 13 M. abscessus subsp. massiliense isolates identified by whole-genome sequencing to the species but not the subspecies level, from Middlebrook 7H11 and Burkholderia cepacia selective agars. Peak analysis revealed three peaks potentially able to differentiate between subspecies.