Experience on primary closure of fibular flap donor sites and development of an algorithm for closure based on different flap designs

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BACKGROUND: Most skin paddles of the fibula flap are harvested from the distal third of the lower leg, skin grafting for the donor-site is necessary.

METHODS: A retrospective review was done on patients with large bony defects using free fibula osteocutaneous flaps (FOSCFF) for head and neck reconstruction. We focus on the techniques for closure of donor sites were skin grafting, primary closure with tear drop design and propeller flap technique on the donor site closure using skin graft, primary closure and local propeller flap based on the different location of perforators of FOSCFF. Postoperative follow up include incidence of wound complications, postoperative days to ambulation and cosmetic outcome.

RESULTS: A total of 48 patients were included. Twenty five patients had skin graft (Group A), and 23 patients had primary closure (Group B); in 16 patients tear-drop design was used, 6 had propeller flap, and the remaining 1 patient received a chimeric flap. Group A had more wound complication rates compared to Group B; 20% versus 4.3%, respectively (p = .19). The average postoperative days to ambulation for Group A were 15.1 days versus 7.3 days for Group B (p < .001). The cosmetic score in the B group (2.71) versus A group (4.89) was also statistically significant (p = .007). All the patients ambulated well at follow up.

CONCLUSION: Primary closure using the tear drop technique and propeller flap is superior to skin grafting in terms of better cosmetic appearance, earlier postoperative ambulation, and no need for another donor site for skin graft.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2020

Erschienen:

2020

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:40

Enthalten in:

Microsurgery - 40(2020), 7 vom: 19. Okt., Seite 741-749

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Feng, Kuan-Ming [VerfasserIn]
Sudirman, Siti R [VerfasserIn]
Shih, Hsiang-Shun [VerfasserIn]
Jeng, Seng-Feng [VerfasserIn]

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Volltext

Themen:

Journal Article

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 28.07.2021

Date Revised 07.12.2022

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1002/micr.30621

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM311810160