Reconstruction of Complex Abdominal Wall Defect With Autogenous Pedicled Demucosalized Seromuscular Flap

Subtotal Thigh Flap for Large Abdominal Wall Defect Reconstruction in Patient With Recurrent Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans: A Case Report and Literature Review

BACKGROUND

Harvesting an adequate-sized flap is challenging for reconstructing large defects on the abdominal wall. A subtotal thigh flap would be one of the choices as it provides a well-vascularized large flap with muscle components. Moreover, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a low-grade dermal neoplasm with a high recurrence rate. There is still no consensus on the extent of resection to prevent a recurrence.

OBJECTIVES

We present a case of a patient who underwent the reconstruction of a large abdominal wall defect with a subtotal thigh flap after the resection of recurrent DFSP.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A 59-year-old man killed from a recurrent huge mass in the lower abdomen with an invasion of the small intestine. His baseline characteristics and records of operations, medications, and outcomes were reviewed.

RESULT

After tumor excision, a 28 × 30-cm subtotal thigh flap was harvested from his left thigh to reconstruct the abdominal defect. A microvascular anastomosis with left deep inferior epigastric vessels was made eventually. The flap was in good condition, and the donor site was covered with a split-thickness skin graft.

CONCLUSIONS

Subtotal thigh flap may be considered for large abdominal wall defect reconstruction as it allows good perfusion of relatively large skin paddles compared with other free flaps. Also, patients with DFSP need definite margin-free resection and close follow-up to prevent a recurrence.

Bowel seromuscular flaps used to repair pelvic defects in patients undergoing reoperative surgery

BACKGROUND

Pedicled seromuscular bowel flaps may serve as an alternative for pelvic floor reconstruction when conventional omental and muscular flaps are not an option in patients undergoing reoperative abdominopelvic surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate a unique series of bowel seromuscular flaps used to obliterate intrapelvic defects.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study on all patients in a single tertiary care institutional database who had undergone pelvic reconstruction with a seromuscular bowel flap from January 2006 to December 2018. The primary outcomes measured were the 30-day morbidity and mortality rates.

RESULTS

Twelve patients (6 men 6 women, median age 56.5 years [range 33-77 years]) underwent reoperative abdominopelvic surgery requiring the use of a native small or large seromuscular bowel flap to obliterate pelvic defects. The indications for surgery included chronic infections, fistulizing Crohn's disease, and cancer. In all cases, no residual omentum was available and rectus abdominis muscle flaps were not feasible due to prior operative scars. Thirty-day morbidity occurred in 5 patients (42%), and included urine leak from ureteral injury, anastomotic leak, acute kidney injury, and superficial surgical site infection. No flaps became ischemic or required removal in the postoperative setting. No mortality was recorded.

CONCLUSIONS

Bowel seromuscular flaps are a feasible and safe alternative for covering pelvic defects in patients who are undergoing reoperative surgery without the option to use traditional omental and muscular flaps.

[Multicenter study of the effectiveness of antiscar therapy in patients at different age periods]

OBJECTIVE

Was to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-scar treatment with Contractubex gel in children and adults.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A group of researchers based on clinical hospitals and university medical clinics carry out the multicenter study to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-scar treatment with Contractubex gel containing cepalin, allantoin and heparin, with its early appointment in groups of children from 12 to 18 years old and adults from 21 to 35 years old. The study included data from 216 patients. Patients of both age groups were initially divided into two: the main and control ones with an equal distribution according to the type of surgical intervention (hernia repair and appendectomy), age, gender, and anamnestic data. The dynamic observation was carried out using two rating scales - filled out by a doctor (Vancouver scale) and a patient (author's rating scale in the Scar Diary mobile application).

RESULTS

Based on the results of the analysis of the data obtained, a high efficiency of the use of Contractubex gel at the early stages of scar formation among patients of the main group in comparison with the control was revealed. By 90 days, the treatment result according to the Vancouver scale was 0,16±0,1 points in the main group and 0,39±0,2 points in the control group. At the same time, with a dynamic scale for assessing the cicatricial process, there was a significant (p<0.05) improvement in the main group (0,2±0,06 points) compared with the control group (0,6±0,17 points). In addition, was noticed the strong commitment to anti-scar treatment in pediatric patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The work confirms the undoubted need for anti-scar treatment in the early stages of scar formation after surgical interventions, which accelerates the psychophysical rehabilitation of patients after surgery and improves the quality of life.