Chest wall reconstruction.

Chest wall resection and reconstruction continue to provide a formidable challenge. Prolonged hospitalization of 2 to 3 weeks in often necessary, and patients at our institution have undergone an average of two operations to achieve final closure. However, in multiple reviews of the senior author's personal experience, 85% of patients alive 30 days after operation had a healed, asymptomatic chest wall. Most late deaths occur as a result of the underlying disease process, usually malignancy.