Removal of the whole sternum for malignant tumours results in a large defect, causing severe deformity and possible paradoxical movements of the chest wall. The reconstruction of the resultant large defect of the chest wall is often complex and difficult. Commonly used materials include rib autograft, steel strus acrylic plate and various synthetic meshes such as Goretex or Marlex mesh, with a myocutaneous flap for coverage. A case of a 48-year-old man with sternal chondrosarcoma successfully treated with thoracoplasty using acrylic plate-marlex mesh combination following near total resection of sternum is reported.
Skin-sparing mastectomy is still in its infancy in Malaysia. The option of skin-sparing mastectomy is rarely given to patients as many general surgeons perform the conventional mastectomy. This could also be compounded by the lack of awareness amongst the local surgeons on the safety, surgical technique and treatment outcome of this relatively new procedure. This case report demonstrates the feasibility of this procedure performed on a Malaysian patient with a comparable outcome of those reported in the Western countries.