CTICasesPost-Surgical Flap Monitoring Devices for Thyroid Cancer Resection
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Imaging findings
Chest radiograph showed a post-operative state with a right chest tube, surgical drain, numerous surgical clips, and unfamiliar small, thread-like metallic devices. Prior CT demonstrated a large anterior mediastinal mass (metastatic thyroid cancer). Post-resection, a large chest wall defect was reconstructed using a thigh-derived soft tissue flap. The thread-like devices were identified as Doppler monitors for the vascular integrity of the flap, connected to its artery and vein.
Key takeaways
Recognizing various post-surgical devices on imaging is crucial. Unfamiliar thread-like structures in the vicinity of a surgical flap can represent Doppler monitoring devices, which are used to assess blood flow within the flap's microvasculature after complex reconstructive surgeries, such as those for extensive chest wall defects following tumor resection.
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