World J Oral Maxillofac Surg | Volume 2, Issue 2 | Research Article | Open Access
Heidt BA1 , Mehravari P2 , Lommen J2 , Schorn LKF 2 , Kübler NR2 ,Nitschke J3 and Holtmann H1 *
1Department of Oral, Maxillo and Plastic Facial Surgery, Malteser Krankenhaus St. Johannes-Stift, Germany 2Department of Oral Maxillo and Plastic Facial Surgery, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Germany 3Department of Neurosurgery, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Germany
*Correspondance to: Holtmann H
Fulltext PDFBackground: In Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, anatomical and functional defect coverage after tumor resections is often performed by microvascularly stemmed radial forearm transplants/ lfaps. The defect is usually covered simultaneously by split or full skin transplants either from the proximal forearm or more distant donor sites (upper arm, thigh, lower abdomen, etc), which can also be associated with possible wound healing disorders and additional pain. The aim of this case series was therefore to describe a minimally invasive alternative for covering the removal defects and to investigate their effectiveness and clinical relevance. Methods: Within the scope of the study 10 patients (n=6 m/4 w) were examined after plastic reconstruction with micro vascular anastomosed radial forearm flap. An epidermal skin graft (CelluTome System, KCI, Acelity, San Antonio, Texas, USA) was taken from the inside of the thigh to cover the site of removal using the suction blister procedure. Results: The study shows good results regarding the functional rehabilitation of the former donor site. This includes tendon mobility and hand sensitivity. Within the framework of wound healing, however, significant scarring and pigmentation were observed. The first visible results were seen after an average of 11 days with pre-growing epithelial cell nests. The complete reepithelialization took place after an average of 72.4 days (minimum 21 days, maximum 101 days). The average healing time at the donor site of the epidermis transplants on the thigh was 23 days (minimum 7 days, maximum 28 days). Conclusion: The low surgical effort and the lack of morbidity are the greatest advantages of SBV with simultaneous coverage after radial flap removal. The time and cost savings as well as the possibility of multiple sampling from the same sampling site are also positive. The main disadvantage of this procedure is the resulting aesthetics in this distinctive area, accompanied by a partially protracted healing process. This results in an increased compliance of the patient to be demanded.
Radial forearm flap; Full skin graft; Split skin graft; Removal defect; Tissue harvesting; Suction blister epidermal graf
Heidt BA, Mehravari P, Lommen J, Schorn LKF,Kübler NR, Nitschke J, et al. Donor Defect Coverage by Epidermis Transplantation after Radial Flap Removal - A Case Series Report. World J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2019; 2(2): 1027.