Dorsal intercostal artery flap: a reliable option for coverage of myelomeningocele defects: a case series Authors Majid Khan Department of Plastic Surgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan Faisal Sher Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan Muhammad Taimoor 4th Year MBBS Student, Ziauddin Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan Muhammad Shahzad Shamim Department of Neurosurgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan Safdar Ali Shaikh Department of Plastic Surgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan DOI: https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.10717 Keywords: Dorsal intercostal artery flap (DICA), Meningomyelocele, Neural tube defects, Reconstructive surgery, Fasciocutaneous flap Abstract Meningomyelocele is a common congenital condition and its reconstruction poses a challenge for surgeons. The dorsal intercostal artery (DICA) flap offers a one-stage tension-free closure with adequate results. This study, spanning from January 2019 to September 2022, analyses the outcome of nine DICA flaps for meningomyelocele reconstruction, where the average size of the DICA flap was 6.8 x 4.6 cm for an average defect of 6.33 x 4 cm. Notably, no post-operative blood transfusion was required, nor any complications occurred except for one patient’s septic shock-related death. Two had post-operative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, repaired primarily with one requiring VP shunt. Based on our experience, the DICA flap, with its consistent anatomy, is a reliable option for the reconstruction of meningomyelocele defects. Keywords: Dorsal intercostal artery flap (DICA), Meningomyelocele, Neural tube defects, Reconstructive surgery, Fasciocutaneous flap. Downloads Full Text Article Published 2024-07-25 How to Cite Khan, M., Sher, F., Taimoor, M., Shamim, M. S., & Shaikh, S. A. (2024). Dorsal intercostal artery flap: a reliable option for coverage of myelomeningocele defects: a case series. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 74(8), 1541–1544. https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.10717 More Citation Formats ACM ACS APA ABNT Chicago Harvard IEEE MLA Turabian Vancouver Download Citation Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX Issue Vol. 74 No. 8 (2024): AUGUST Section CASE SERIES License Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.