The Expanded Supraclavicular Flap, Prefabricated with Thoracoacromial Vessels, for Reconstruction of Postburn Anterior Cervical Contractures

Supraclavicular Flap for Severe Post-burn Neck Contracture in Children

The neck is essential and vital for all head movements and performing daily functional activities. The second-degree deep dermal and full-thickness burns causing anterior neck contracture restricts movement and if untreated develop deformities, in the oral cavity, eyes, posture, and chin growth and development, especially in children. Neck contracture results in kyphoscoliosis, lower lip seal resulting in impaired vision, balance, swallowing, feeding, and speech as well as social stigma, depression, and embarrassment. The treatment for post-burn anterior neck contractures is contracture release and reconstruction with skin grafts (split and full-thickness), axial pattern flaps, perforator propeller flaps, microvascular free flaps, tissue expansion, prefabrications, and skin substitutes. In addition to functional and esthetic recovery, post-surgery social and vocational rehabilitation is essential for children. We report a ten-year-old boy with severe anterior neck post-burn contracture managed with unilateral supraclavicular flap and residual areas with a split-thickness skin graft.

Pre-expanded bipedicled visor flap: an ideal option for the reconstruction of upper and lower lip defects postburn in Asian males

Background

Reconstruction of upper and lower lip subunits is a complicated and elusive challenge. For patients affected by defects involving upper and lower lip subunits, a technique able to reconstruct both aesthetic units with matched colour, sufficient contours and similar texture would be ideal. In this study, we present our experience with upper and lower lip reconstruction using the pre-expanded bipedicled visor flap.

Methods

From January 2014 to January 2017, 12 male patients presenting with defects of the upper and lower lip subunits were treated using this surgical technique. After a period of expansion of the scalp flap of over 6 months, the bipedicled visor flap was raised from both the parietal regions and rotated to resurface the defect. Delay and section of the pedicle were then performed.

Results

Twelve male patients with postburn scars aged 22 to 48 years (mean: 34 years) were successfully treated with no major complications. The donor site was closed primarily in all cases. Subsequent flap debulking and minor revisions were performed under local anaesthesia between 6 and 12 months postoperatively.

Conclusions

The pre-expanded bipedicled visor flap provides an effective and reliable option for upper and lower lip reconstruction with excellent colour and texture. It is feasible to achieve these results simultaneously from a single donor site by using a pre-expanded bipedicled visor flap.

Contemporary reconstruction after complex facial trauma

Complex facial trauma requires complex repair and solutions. This process is challenging for the surgeon who seeks to manage the expectations of the patient and family while achieving the best possible result. Historically, the use of pedicled flaps, and then free tissue transfer, were the primary techniques utilized. Advancements in soft-tissue reconstruction, such as perforator flaps and pre-expanded and prefabricated flaps, allow refinement of the soft-tissue reconstruction process to create the best initial soft-tissue coverage. The advent of contemporary technologies, such as virtual surgical planning, stereolithography and customized implants and plates, facilitates a tailored approach to the patient’s reconstructive needs for precise bony reconstruction. When surgical and technological techniques are combined in complementary multistage reconstructions, better reconstructive and aesthetic outcomes are achievable than ever before. In this review, the authors present a summary of the management of complex facial trauma based on the senior author’s broad experience. Initial management and contemporary reconstructive techniques and technology to provide optimal outcomes are reviewed. A case series of complex facial traumas and their reconstructive process is also presented to demonstrate how complementary staged procedures can yield an optimal result. We believe the reconstructive surgeon managing complex facial trauma should strive to incorporate contemporary technologies and techniques into their armamentarium to provide the best patient care.

Microdissected Prefabricated Flap: An Evolution in Flap Prefabrication

When traditional flap techniques are not feasible, we apply flap prefabrication, which is more complicated and sophisticated but supplies large and thin flaps. There are some disadvantages to the technique that require improvement, such as venous congestion after flap transfer, which requires months for neoangiogenesis and necessitates a vascular carrier. Here, the author presents a new technique, called as ‘microdissected prefabricated flap,’ to successfully produce a safe, large, and thin flap. This technique is based on the microdissection of the perforators to the greatest extent possible, spreading them out into the subdermal level and using them as a carrier. The details and the application of this technique are presented and reported.

Pre-expanded Supraclavicular Artery Perforator Flap

The supraclavicular artery perforator (SAP) flap is a versatile flap for the reconstruction of head and neck defects. Recently, the authors have modified the SAP flap by using an anterior branch of the transverse cervical artery. The anterior SAP flap allows the harvest of a tissue island in the deltopectoral fossa, which is even thinner, is more pliable, and shows a superior color match to the face and neck compared with the original SAP flap. Pre-expansion increases flap size considerably, enabling the coverage of extended defects without the need of microsurgery.

Bipedicled "Superthin" Free Perforator Flaps for Facial Burn Scar Reconstruction: Expanded Scope of Superthin Flaps: A Case Series

Background:

“Superthin flap” is a distinctively thin flap that is thinned primarily to the point that the subdermal vascular network can be seen through a minimal fat layer. Reconstruction of severely disfigured neck and face can be performed using the occipito-cervico-dorsal superthin flap that is harvested from the dorsal region and supercharged by the circumflex scapular vessels. We used bipedicled superthin free perforator flaps to reconstruct scar contractures on half of the face, whole face, or the whole chin-neck area in 17 postburn patients.

Methods:

This case series report includes all 17 cases. Flaps in the dorsal area were designed. In all cases, one pedicle consisted of the circumflex scapular vessels. In 11, 5, and 1 flaps, the second pedicle consisted of contralateral posterior intercostal perforators (type 1), ipsilateral posterior intercostal perforators (type 2), and ipsilateral circumflex scapular vessels (type 3), respectively. Four patients underwent whole-face reconstruction after acid burn with type 1 or type 3 perforator. The recipient vessels were the superficial temporal vessels and contralateral or ipsilateral facial vessels. Intraoperatively, all adipose tissue in the flap, including between the 2 pedicles, was thinned by scissors before the pedicles were detached from the donor sites. Maximum flap size was 35 × 15 cm. Donor sites were covered by a split full-thickness skin graft. Flap survival and functional and cosmetic results were assessed retrospectively.

Results:

Fifteen of the 17 flaps survived completely. Two developed partial necrosis due to perforator thrombosis. Some patients developed hypertrophic scars around the flap, but these improved naturally over time. All patients were satisfied with both the cosmetic and functional outcomes of the reconstruction.

Conclusion:

Bipedicled superthin free perforator flaps may be an excellent choice for reconstruction of severe neck scar contracture. This report expands the scope of previously used “superthin flaps.”

The supraclavicular flap for reconstruction of post-burn mentosternal contractures

BACKGROUND

The thin and pliable skin of the neck is a region with multidirectional activity, and postburn scar contractures tend to form there easily. The supraclavicular flap is used to correct neck scar contractures. Its main vascular supply is the supraclavicular artery, and it can be harvested as either a skin pedicle flap or an island flap (vascular pedicle flap).

OBJECTIVE

In this article, a total of 41 flaps are studied retrospectively and their efficacy in reconstruction of post-burn neck scar contractures is discussed. Also donor-site morbidity, patient satisfaction, and complications were evaluated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between November of 2004 and January of 2009, 41 supraclavicular flaps were used for reconstructions in 32 patients at the authors' hospital. Twenty-four of these flaps were skin pedicle flaps, and 17 were island flaps. The range of flap size was 18 ± 6 cm in length, and 9 ± 3 cm in width. Pre-expansion was performed in 14 flaps. Primary closure of donor site was performed in 35 flaps.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven of the 41 flaps survived completely, but there were three cases of distal necrosis (10-30%), and one case of complete flap necrosis. Twenty-nine of the 32 patients were satisfied with both the functional and aesthetic results.

CONCLUSIONS

Scarring of the neck produces problems with function, and appearance. In our view, the supraclavicular flap, a thin flap of good texture, is an excellent and highly reliable flap for covering defects of the anterior neck. This flap is easy to harvest, with good functional and aesthetic results.

Reconstruction of the cheek after large port-wine stain lesion resection

BACKGROUND

A laser is commonly used in treatment of port-wine stain (PWS). Although observable lightening of the stains can be achieved, complete removal is rare. A significant proportion of lesions are resistant to laser treatment, including hypertrophic lesions and scars developed after improper (unsuccessful) treatments. Alternatively, resection is used to eliminate such lesions, but the reconstruction of the aesthetic appearance of the cheek after large lesion resection remains a huge challenge.

METHODS

Ten patients with a PWS larger than two-thirds of the cheek were selected for this study. In those patients, prefabricated induced expanded flaps carried by the superficial temporal vessels were prepared to cover the defect areas after resection of the PWS lesion.

RESULTS

In eight patients, all the donor sites and defect areas were covered primarily with the expanded flaps, which then survived completely. All patients were satisfied with the cheek appearance after reconstruction with prefabricated induced expanded flaps, which provided a good match for color and texture, restored facial contour, placed scars in a concealed location, and achieved minimal donor-site morbidity. Two of the ten patients did not finish the original surgical plan due to infection or damage to the vascular pedicle.

CONCLUSION

We show that the technique of using prefabricated expanded flaps based on the superficial temporal vessels can be an effective option for repairing large cheek defects after PWS resection.

Supraclavicular flap in head and neck reconstruction: experience in 50 consecutive patients

The supraclavicular flap (SCF) is a fasciocutaneous flap used to cover head, oral, and neck region defects after tumor resection. Its main vascular supply is the supraclavicular artery and accompanying veins and it can be harvested as a vascularised pedicled flap. The SCF serves as an excellent outer skin cover as well as a good inner mucosal lining after oral cavity and head-neck tumor resections. The flap has a wide arc of rotation and matches the skin colour and texture of the face and neck. Between March 2006 and March 2011, the pedicled supraclavicular flap was used for reconstruction in 50 consecutive patients after head and neck tumor resections and certain benign conditions in a tertiary university hospital setting. The flaps were tunnelized under the neck skin to cover the external cervicofacial defects or passed medial to the mandible to give an inner epithelial lining after the oral cavity and oropharyngeal tumor excision. Forty-four of the 50 patients had 100% flap survival with excellent wound healing. All the flaps were harvested in less than 1 h. There were four cases of distal tip desquamation and two patients had complete flap necrosis. Distal flap desquamation was observed in SCFs used for resurfacing the external skin defects after oral cavity tumor ablation and needed only conservative treatment measures. Total flap failure was encountered in two patients who had failed in previous chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell cancer of the floor of mouth and tonsil, respectively, and the SCF was used in mucosal defect closure after tumor ablation. The benefits of a pedicled fasciocutaneous supraclavicular flap are clear; it is thin, reliable, easy, and quick to harvest. In head, face and neck reconstructions, it is a good alternative to free fasciocutaneous flaps, regional pedicled myocutaneous flaps, and the deltopectoral flap.

[Surgical strategy for neck burns and their sequelae]

Burns of the neck are common and expose them to functional and aesthetic complications which are sometimes very serious. Care in the acute stage and treatment of sequelae contribute to a common goal of restoration: Maintain or recreate a chin-neck angle and get a quality skin as close as possible to the original skin, in terms of flexibility, texture, thickness and color. The wide variety of cases encountered requires knowing the armamentarium available to us today, and the anatomical basis and clinical underlying indications.

Novel flaps for head and neck reconstruction

The head and neck region is important both functionally and aesthetically and its reconstruction poses a formidable challenge for plastic surgeons. A perforator flap is a flap of skin or subcutaneous tissue supplied by a vessel that perforates the deep fascia to gain access to flap. With improvement in our knowledge of the anatomy of blood supply to the skin, the perforator flaps have opened a whole new horizon for the plastic surgeon to choose flaps with better function and cosmesis. The locally available perforators enable flaps to be designed with excellent match in tissue characteristics. Perforator flaps limit donor site morbidity and as they are islanded complete insetting is possible in a single stage. The principal perforator flaps such as facial artery perforator flap, platysma flap and its variant the submental flap and supra-clavicular artery flap used in the head and neck reconstruction are discussed. The more commonly used flaps are the free radial artery forearm flap and the anterolateral thigh flap while the novel ones are the thoracodorsal artery perforator flap, medial sural artery perforator flap and the toe-web flap for commissure reconstruction. The indications, reach and drawbacks of these flaps have been discussed in this review.