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skin flap
Indications:
- reconstruction of traumatic wounds
- reconstruction of cosmetic disorder
- reconstructionn of hed & neck cancer
- cutaneous ulcer refractory to medical therapy
Clinical significance:
- wound coverage when inadequate vascularity of the wound bed prevents skin graft survival
- wound coverage on the face, particularly around the eyes, nose, & mouth
- cover for gliding tendons
- bulk tissue to fill contour defects
- specialized sensory function
Procedure:
- moves a section of skin & associated subcutaneous tissue from one part of the body to another, with the vascular supply maintained for nourishment
- the vascular attachment can be the original vessel, rotated along with the flap; changed from one part of the flap to another; or reestablished by microvascular anastomoses once it has been placed in the new location
- one disadvantage of local flap closure is that the flap essentially redistributes an already inadequately perfused tissue & is randomly dependent on an unpredictable local blood supply
Related
skin graft
Specific
skin flap, forehead
General
tissue transfer
References
- Nesbit RD
eMedicine (Medscape): Random Skin Flaps
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1284569-overview
- Wikipedia: free flap
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_flap