Reconstructive surgery for severe breast asymmetry post-paediatric cardiovascular operation by anterolateral thoracotomy

Breast maldevelopment is a troublesome long-term complication of anterolateral thoracotomies, and several cases of this event have been reported. However, breast reconstruction in such cases has not yet been reported in detail, and solutions for managing this event remain unexplained. Herein, we present a case of breast maldevelopment after anterolateral thoracotomy, in which symmetrical breasts were successfully obtained by breast reconstruction based on autologous tissue transfer. The surgical approach prior to pleurotomy in anterolateral thoracotomy, particularly when performed on female infant patients, must be modified to prevent postoperative breast malformation. Anterolateral thoracotomies are routinely performed in paediatric cardiovascular surgery, and subsequent breast maldevelopment is a long-term postoperative complication [1, 2].