Pedicled anterolateral thigh flap for contralateral groin composite defect

Pedicled anterolateral thigh flap has been well described for ipsilateral groin defects. Its versatility depends on the intact femoral vessels. When the external iliac and the femoral vessels are absent, especially secondary to wide surgical tumour ablations in the groin region, ipsilateral ALT flap is not an option. Free flaps also are difficult because of lack of recipient vessels. We report a case of composite groin defect following wide resection of recurrent liposarcoma along with encased vessels which was covered with a pedicled anterolateral thigh flap from the opposite thigh. The technique of lengthening the vascular pedicle and medializing the pedicle, to effectively increase its reach to the contralateral anterior superior iliac spine without vascular compromise, is described.     

Pedicled chimeric sensitive fasciocutaneous anterolateral thigh (ALT) and vastus lateralis muscle (VLM) flap for groin defect reconstruction: A case report

The anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap is one of the most commonly used flap worldwide, as both free flap and pedicled local flap. Here, we report the use of a pedicled chimeric sensitive ALT and vastus lateralis muscle (VLM) flap in a patient with a 12 cm × 8 cm contaminated soft tissue defect of the right inguinal region with exposed femoral vessels. The flap was harvested based on two perforators, one musculocutaneous and one pure muscular, each nourished separately a sensitive fasciocutaneous component and a vastus lateralis muscle component, respectively. The muscle part was tailored to wrap around the exposed vascular structures, while the innervated skin and fascia component of the flap provided a tension‐free closure of the wound. The post‐operative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged at 1 week post‐operative. Even though it requires technical skills and experience in perforator dissection, we believe that the pedicled chimeric sensitive ALT and VLM flap may be one of the best solutions in case of exposed femoral vessels in contaminated wounds.     

Pedicled neurocutaneous anterolateral thigh flap for groin reconstruction – A case report

Several different flaps based on the feeding vessels of sensitive nerves have been described in the limbs. This article reports the case of a neurocutaneous flap based on the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN), employed for reconstruction of an inguinal defect. A 61‐years‐old female patient had undergone vulvectomy and bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy for vulvar cancer with postoperative left groin wound breakdown. After a 3 weeks negative pressure therapy course, she presented a 10 × 4 cm skin and subcutaneous defect with undermined edges in the left inguinal area. Reconstruction with 14 × 6 cm pedicled left anterolateral thigh flap was planned. After the dissection of the vascular pedicle and of the sensitive nerve, complete thrombosis of both the veins and arterial spasm of perforating pedicle was detected. As the flap color was good, and slow marginal bleeding was present, we inspected the small vessels surrounding the nerve that were pulsating. To confirm the vascularization coming from the neural pedicle, we clamped the perforator and performed intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence angiography that showed a good fluorescence of the flap with a proximal to distal pattern of progression. The flap was transferred on the neural pedicle, survived completely, and wounds healed normally. Three months after surgery, the patient underwent radiotherapy, with uneventful course. In her last follow‐up, 2 years after surgery, patient was free of disease and the flap showed normal scarring. This is the first case reported of a pedicled neurocutaneous flap based on the LFCN, indicating that in case of unsuitable perforators it could be an alternative pedicle.     

Posteromedial thigh (PMT) propeller flap for perineoscrotal reconstruction: A case report

Fournier's gangrene can lead to extensive defects of the perineoscrotal area with exposure of the testes. Such defect poses challenging tasks for both functional and cosmetic reconstruction. Due to its proximity, medial thigh skin appeared to be the most versatile donor site for perineoscrotal reconstruction. In this report, we present a case of reconstruction of a large perineoscrotal defect because of Fournier's gangrene using a posteromedial thigh (PMT) perforator propeller flap. A 58 year‐old male who suffered from Fournier's gangrene resulted in a scrotal defect of 10 × 12 cm² with a large dead space. A pedicled PMT propeller flap measuring 9 × 23 cm² with two perforators that originated from the profunda femoris artery (PFA) was harvested for scrotal defect reconstruction and dead space obliteration. The flap survived completely, with no recipient or donor site morbidity. The length of followup was 3 months and was uneventful. The pedicled PMT propeller flap may be considered as a valid option for perineoscrotal reconstruction. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 35:569–572, 2015.     

The use of inverted‐L posteromedial thigh (L‐PMT) flap for autologous breast reconstruction: A case report

The posteromedial thigh (PMT) flap has been described for breast reconstruction in vertical fashion (vPMT). However, it might not incorporate enough soft tissue for reconstruction of a medium size breast. Here, we present a case utilizing the free inverted‐L posteromedial thigh (L‐PMT) flap for autologous reconstruction of the breast. A 65‐year‐old woman with a body max index (BMI) of 24.5 kg/m² underwent nipple sparring mastectomy and received immediate unilateral breast reconstruction. The flap was raised based on the first medial perforator of the profunda femoris artery (PFA). The internal mammary artery and vein were dissected as recipient vessels. The flap size was 25 cm × 25 cm. The mastectomy specimen and weight of the flap was 260 g and 310 g, respectively. The flap survived completely after surgery. The donor site was primarily closed with minimal morbidities. Follow‐up observations were conducted from 1 to 6 months. The patient was satisfied with the reconstruction. The free L‐PMT flap may be suitable for breast reconstruction in women with moderate breast size. The inverted‐L pattern of the PMT flap allows the surgeon to include a bigger quantity of flap soft tissue enabling a more anatomical shape of the breast and represents an alternative design that may be used for autologous breast reconstruction in selected patients.     

Pedicled fasciocutaneous anterolateral thigh flap for the reconstruction of a large postoncologic abdominal wall resection defect: a case report

The anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap has been used to cover defects between the proximal third of the leg and lower abdomen, and with modification, may cover epigastric defects. We used the ALT flap to cover a full-thickness defect of over half the anterior abdominal wall. We conclude that abdominal wall defects of large sizes can be successfully reconstructed using an appropriately designed ALT flap; a simple, single-stage effective reconstruction.     

Proximal pedicled anterolateral thigh flap for reconstruction of trochanteric defect

We describe our experience using the proximal pedicled anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap for the reconstruction of trochanteric defects. Seven ALT island flap procedures were performed in 6 patients between September 2006 and May 2007. Four of the 7 patients had trochanteric pressure sores because of paraplegia. In these patients, intramuscular perforators were dissected to raise a fasciocutaneous flap. Three myocutaneous flaps of the vastus lateralis muscle were used to treat osteomyelitis of the trochanter with implant extrusion. The mean follow-up was 7 months (range, 2-12 months), and all flaps survived. Trochanteric coverage with the proximal pedicled ALT flap gave excellent results. We conclude that the ALT flap is a reliable flap for trochanteric coverage.     

Pedicled vertical myocutaneous gracilis (VMG) flap for reconstruction of a large composite lower abdominal defect

Management of the complex abdominal wall defect after tumour extipiration represents a challenge and requires careful planning. We report a case of a 76-year-old gentleman treated initially for a T4N0M0 Dukes B sigmoid cancer with anterior resection in 2008. He re-presented 6?months after chemotherapy with a histopathologically proven anterior abdominal wall adenocarcinoma of colonic origin with involvement of the underlying parietal wall and rectus muscle. En bloc resection was undertaken with the harvesting of a vertical myocutaneous gracilis, VMG, pedicled flap (11?×?22 cm) to fill the abdominal soft tissue defect. A concurrent supraumbilical incisional hernia, poor coverage from other local pedicle flap options and multiple co-morbidities made the pedicled VMG the only viable option. We report its success as a valuable option in the reconstructive armamentarium for complex abdominal defects.     

Pedicled osteocutaneous groin flap in the compound reconstruction procedures of the fingers]

The paper presents the authors own experiences with pedicled oseocutaneous groin flaps based on superficial circumflex iliac vessels with a vascularized bone graft (size ranging from 2.5 cm to 5 cm) from the ilium. Eight patients, 7 males and 1 female, (aged 9-46 years, mean age 24 years) were treated using this method because a bone defect of the first metacarpal bone or the middle phalanx of the III finger. The flap pedicle was cut off after 17-36 days. Treatment was successful in all patients, although complications of the healing process were noted in 7 flaps. In 5 cases an inflammatory reaction around the sutures or superficial necrosis of the skin was observed. In two cases extensive infection of the flap's tissues was noted which in one case lead to partial necrosis of the soft tissues.     

Pedicled deep inferior epigastric perforator flap: an alternative method to repair groin and scrotal defects

With minimal donor-site morbidity and bulky soft tissue supply, deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap is now a preferred free flap in reconstructive surgery. Based on the experiences in free flap procedures, the authors explored a new usage of the DIEP flap to repair groin and scrotal defects. Over the last 2 years, 8 pedicled DIEP island flaps were successfully elevated and transferred in 7 male patients. With intramuscular dissection, the pedicle length could be elongated, with minimal damage to the abdominal fascia-muscular structure. Among these flaps, 5 were used for penoscrotal restore; 3 were raised to repair groin defects. All flaps survived completely. Groin reconstruction with such a flap gave a satisfactory esthetic result. Though somewhat bulky for penoscrotal restoration, it was acceptable for elderly patients. The authors conclude that this flap can be chosen as an alternative option to deal with complex groin and scrotal wounds.     

Thirty-year experience of utility of island groin flap for scrotal defect single-stage reconstruction

For the last 32years, we have been using island groin flap successfully to cover the scrotal defects in a single stage with good results. This flap utility for single-stage urethral fistula repair was first reported by the senior author in 1987 and was published in Br J Urol.¹We have performed single-stage repair of scrotal defects of medium and moderate size with this flap in 25 cases of Fournier's gangrene and in 4 cases of scrotal avulsion injuries due to road traffic accidents. All had good aesthetic results. More than 50% scrotal size defects were treated by a single groin flap alone. In cases with total loss of the scrotum, the groin flap was used along with two superior medial pedicle thigh flaps. Here, we have included cases of single-stage reconstruction of scrotal reconstruction by island groin flap alone. All our patients were operated under spinal anaesthesia. The results were satisfactory for the patients. We conclude from our 30 years of experience of utilizing this vascular island groin flap for a single-stage repair of scrotal defects of moderate size to be a procedure of better choice.     

Turbocharged bilateral pedicled DIEP flap for reconstruction of thigh defect without recipient vessels: A case report

Reconstruction of thigh defects is usually straightforward, but in cases of poor soft tissue quality, free flap reconstruction is not possible due to the absence of recipient vessels. The turbocharge technique may increase the viable, vascularized area of a flap. In this report we present a case of the use of a turbocharged bilateral pedicled DIEP flap for reconstruction of thigh defect without recipient vessels. A 29‐year‐old woman who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus radiation therapy for a leiomyosarcoma on the left thigh. Six weeks later, complete tumor excision and a femoropopliteal bypass with contralateral saphenous vein was performed. In the following days the wound had dehiscence, infection, necrosis of the surrounding muscles and exposure of femoropopliteal bypass. No recipient vessels were available for free flap and critical limb ischemia due to bypass thrombosis was detected. The reconstruction of a large thigh defect (30 × 12 cm) and the coverage of a femoropopliteal bypass with a turbocharged bilateral pedicled DIEP flap was performed. A flap including the entire infraumbilical tissue was designed and the anastomosis of the proximal stump of the right inferior epigastric vessels with the distal ends of the inferior left epigastric vessels was performed to increase the viable area. The flap survived without any complications during the postoperative period. At 12‐month follow up, coverage was stable with no tumor recurrence. Our result suggests that a turbocharged bilateral pedicled DIEP flap may be an option for reconstructing large tissue defects when no recipient vessels are available for free flap.     

双侧游离股后内侧穿支皮瓣再造一侧乳房

目的探讨双侧游离股后内侧穿支皮瓣再造一侧乳房的可行性。方法回顾性分析2018年10月至2019年6月湖南省肿瘤医院肿瘤整形外科收治的6例女性早期乳腺癌患者的临床资料。患者年龄31~47岁。肿瘤均为单侧,左侧3例,右侧3例;浸润性导管癌3例,浸润性小叶癌3例。对6例乳腺癌患者行一期或二期双侧游离股后内侧穿支皮瓣移植再造乳房。一期再造3例,乳腺肿块直径2.5~4.0 cm;二期再造3例。术后对皮瓣和供区的情况进行随访观察。结果6例患者手术过程顺利,切取皮瓣长(24.4±0.5)cm、宽(8.3±0.5)cm、厚(3.4±0.5)cm,血管蒂长度为(8.9±0.4)cm,动脉管径为(1.5±0.4)mm,静脉管径为(1.9±0.3)mm。皮瓣平均质量为235 g(165~345 g)。1例皮瓣供区术后1周出现淋巴漏,经持续负压吸引于2周后自行愈合。6例获5~8个月随访,平均5.5个月,所有皮瓣均成活,再造乳房外形可,弹性好,无皮瓣挛缩变形,供区仅遗留线性瘢痕,无下肢功能影响。6例效果均较满意,未发现乳腺癌复发。结论应用双侧游离股后内侧皮瓣移植再造一侧乳房效果较好,方法可行,可作为特殊情况下乳房再造的备选手术方案。