Reconstruction with latissimus dorsi, external abdominal oblique and cranial sartorius muscle flaps for a large defect of abdominal wall in a dog after surgical removal of infiltrative lipoma.

Feng, Yu-Ching; Chen, Kuan-Sheng; Chang, Shih-Chieh

This animal was presented with a large-sized infiltrative lipoma in the abdominal wall that had been noted for 4 years. This lipoma was confirmed by histological examination from a previous biopsy, and the infiltrative features were identified by a computerized tomography scan. The surgical removal created a large-sized abdominal defect that was closed by a combination of latissimus dorsi and external abdominal oblique muscle flaps in a pedicle pattern. A small dehiscence at the most distal end of the muscle flap resulted in a small-sized abdominal hernia and was repaired with cranial sartorius muscle flap 14 days after surgery. The dog was in good general health with no signs of tumor recurrence after 18 months of follow-up.