Split pectoralis major flaps for mediastinal wound coverage: a 12-year experience

Poststernotomy mediastinitis is an infrequent but highly dangerous complication following median sternotomy. Typically, such wounds are debrided aggressively of necrotic and foreign materials with subsequent flap reconstruction. Between December 1989 and January 2002, 69 patients were referred to the University of Maryland division of plastic surgery for mediastinal wound coverage. A total of 105 flaps of various types were used. Fifty-eight percent of the patients received a single flap. Ninety percent of the flaps used were pectoralis major flaps, whereas only 10% of the flaps were rectus abdominis, latissimus dorsi, or omentum flaps. Ten patients (14.5%) required reoperation. The most common comorbidity was diabetes mellitus. Those patients with diabetes mellitus were 9.1 times more likely to require reoperation after their sternal reconstruction compared with nondiabetic patients (95% confidence interval, 2.1-40.4). Four patients (5.8%) died less than 30 days from their flap procedure. The flap of first choice used in this series is the pectoralis major turnover flap, which is harvested in its entirety and split in the direction of its muscle fibers. Taking the entire muscle allows better coverage of the lower portion of the incision, resulting in far less frequent need for abdominal flaps and their associated morbidity.     

三种修复手部创面皮瓣的临床疗效评价

目的 比较骨间背侧动脉皮瓣、股前外侧皮瓣和腓肠内侧动脉穿支皮瓣的临床疗效,为临床的皮瓣选用提供参考.方法 对应用骨间背侧动脉皮瓣、股前外侧皮瓣和腓肠内侧动脉穿支皮瓣修复手部创面的23例患者进行随访,比较分析DASH(disability of the arm,shoulder and hand)分数、损伤的部位、触觉压觉(Senunes-Weinstein单丝法)、两点分辨觉(动、静态,m2PD、s2PD)、温度觉、臃肿程度和供区瘢痕挛缩程度.结果 三种皮瓣的DASH评分、瘢痕挛缩程度、皮瓣的臃肿程度、触觉压觉、两点分辨觉和温度觉的结果 ,差异均没有统计学意义;股前外侧皮瓣的臃肿程度高于其他两种皮瓣,差异具有统计学意义.结论 三种皮瓣各有特点,临床选择应该根据各种客观要求,不要主观臆测.     

Clinical case experience using microsurgical venous flaps for soft-tissue coverage of the lower extremity

Numerous venous flap models have been experimentally introduced and clinically attempted in reconstruction of soft-tissue defects. The authors report experience in soft-tissue coverage with microsurgical saphenous venous flap transfers in five patients with lower-extremity wounds. Four of these flaps failed postoperatively. Unhealthy recipient beds and inflamed veins were potential causes for these flap failures. Easy dissection without sacrifice of the artery would seem to provide an ideal situation for venous flap utilization, but this rate of failure prohibits recommendation of this flap in large, traumatic wounds.     

Pedicled and "flow-through" venous flaps: clinical applications

Recently, the pedicled venous flap and "flow-through" venous flap have been the focus of increasing attention for skin defects of the fingers and hands. For successful venous flap use, the following approaches have been suggested: (1) a pedicled venous flap with preservation of the draining veins alone; (2) a "flow-through" flap with preservation of a flow-through vein in the flap; and (3) an arterialized "flow-through" venous flap which ensures arterial blood flow into the flap. Based on findings that venous blood is helpful in flap survival, the authors made use of the first two flap types, the pedicled venous flap and the "flow-through" venous flap and attempted to establish and clarify reasonable conditions for flap survival. Venous pressure of the finger and elbow was measured and venographies of the finger and hand were also carried out. The following conditions are regarded as essential in successful venous flap procedures: (a) use of a venous flap with a rich venous network; (b) preservation of many "flow-through" veins; (c) harvesting a pedicled venous flap where the veins have afferent (reversed) venous pressure; and (d) anastomosing veins of the "flow-through" flap with recipient veins where high efferent venous pressure exists and differential pressure is observed. Clinical cases are presented and the authors attempt to explain flap failure from previously unknown causes. Conditions for flap harvesting are also discussed.     

Augmentation of venous drainage by a venous anastomosis for pedicled flaps

Recently several studies have addressed the venous problem and confirmed that venous ischemia is more injurious to tissue viability than arterial ischemia of equivalent duration. There are different methods of managing venous-compromised pedicled flaps. Between June 1996 and November 2003, our center treated two submental, five Becker, nine posterior interosseous, three distally based sural, and three colon pedicled flaps (22 flaps in total), which had venous congestion either at the time of flap elevation or immediately after inset of the flap. These cases of venous congestion were managed with an immediate additional venous anastamosis. After vein anastomosis, venous congestion reduced gradually, then improved, and finally disappeared completely in the postoperative follow-up days with all flaps surviving in their entirety. Reexploration was not required for the microsurgical venous anastomosis. In conclusion, flap necrosis resulting from venous congestion causes prolonged hospitalization, multiple debridements, and additional procedures to cover the exposed structures. Additional vein anastomosis, which is a simple, rapid, and reliable auxiliary procedure, may increase complete flap survival and lead to successful end results, both functional and cosmetic.     

Free flaps for pressure sore coverage

Management of pressure sores still represents a major challenge in plastic surgery practice due to recurrence. The surgeon may have to face multiple or recurrent pressure ulcerations without any local flap left. In this very limited indication, free flap surgery appears to be a useful adjunct in the surgical treatment. We reviewed our charts looking for patients operated for a pressure sore of the sacral, ischial, or trochanteric region. We found 88 consecutive patients representing 108 different pressure sores and 141 flap procedures. Among these patients, 6 presented large sores that could not be covered with a pedicled flap and benefited from free flap surgery (4.2% of all procedures). Stable coverage was achieved in 80% of these patients after a mean follow-up of 32 months. Comparison between pedicled and free flaps groups showed a trend in the latest concerning the presence of diabetes, incontinence, paraplegia, and male sex.     

应用交腿皮瓣移植修复小腿骨裸露创面

目的：分析研究交腿皮瓣移植修复小腿骨裸露及缺血性溃疡创面临床效果。方法：应用交腿皮瓣移植修复组织缺损23例，其中膝内侧隐动脉皮瓣5例，腓肠肌肌皮瓣12例，小腿筋膜皮瓣6例。结果：本组全部病例移植的皮瓣均成活。感染最终得到控制，随访无复发，修复效果良好。结论：交腿皮瓣移植修复组织缺损，皮瓣色泽、质地良好，只要严格掌握手术适应证，就可获得良好效果。     

Surgical revirgination: Four vaginal mucosal flaps for reconstruction of a hymen

Introduction:

Over centuries, virginity has been given social, religious and moral importance. It is widely believed as a state of a female who has never engaged in sexual intercourse, and her hymen is intact. Hymenoplasty for torn hymen is carried out not only for the sake of cultural and religious traditions but also for the social status and interpersonal relationships.

Materials and Methods:

2.5 cm long and 1 cm wide four vaginal mucosal flaps were raised from the anterior vaginal wall just behind labia minora. Two flaps were based proximally, and their two opposing flaps were based distally. These flaps were overlapped in a crisscross fashion and were sutured with 5/0 Polyglactin (Vicryl^®) sutures leaving no area raw. The donor area was closed primarily. When some remains of a torn hymen were found, one to three vaginal mucosal flaps were added to its remains as per the need for reconstruction.

Results:

We operated upon 11 patients. In nine cases, the hymen was reconstructed with four flaps. In remaining two, it was reconstructed from the remains using vaginal mucosal flaps. All flaps healed without any infection or disruption. Sutures got absorbed in 25-35 days. In all cases, this newly constructed barrier broke with only moderate pressure at the time of penetrative sex serving the purpose of the surgery completely.

Conclusion:

Erasing evidence of the sexual history simply by ‘Surgical Revirgination’ is extremely important to women contemplating marriage in cultures where a high value is placed on virginity.KEY WORDS: Hymen, hymenoplasty, revirgination, vagina, vaginal mucosal flaps, virginity     

Comparison of fasciocutaneous V‐Y and rotational flaps for defect coverage of sacral pressure sores: a critical single‐centre appraisal

Pressure sore rates remain high in both nursing homes as well as in hospitals. Numerous surgical options are available for defect coverage in the sacral region. However, objective data is scarce as to whether a specific flap design is superior to another. Here, we aim to compare two fasciocutaneous flap designs for sacral defect coverage: the gluteal rotation flap and the gluteal V‐Y flap. All primary sacral pressure sores of grades III–IV that were being covered with gluteal fasciocutaneous rotational or V‐Y flaps between January 2008 and December 2014 at our institution were analysed. A total of 41 patients received a total of 52 flaps. Of these, 18 patients received 20 gluteal rotational flaps, and 23 patients received 32 V‐Y flaps. Both groups were comparable with regards to demographics, comorbidities and complications. Significantly more V‐Y flaps were needed to cover smaller defects. Mean length of hospital stay was significantly prolonged when surgical revision had to be carried out. Both flap designs have proven safe and reliable for defect coverage after sacral pressure sores. Gluteal rotational flaps appear to be more useful for larger defects. Both flap designs facilitate their reuse in case of pressure sore recurrence. Complication rates appear to be comparable in both designs and to the current literature.     

Four parallel flaps for correction of a wide forehead defect

A simple method for closure of a defect in the forehead area by four parallel flaps along the forehead wrinkle lines is illustrated. The main advantage of this method lies in its simple design, which enables the surgeon to close large defects with no elevation of the eyebrow, while preserving the hairline, and most of the suture lines are parallel to the forehead wrinkle lines.     

Volume tests for chronic venous insufficiency: an appraisal

Chronic venous disease is increasingly treated surgically with a variety of experimental procedures. Noninvasive volume tests are commonly used before surgery to select patients and after surgery to assess results. Rapid volume changes are considered to indicate regurgitation. Rigorous statistical validation of tests and the confounding nature of unmeasured arterial inflow are seldom considered. Volume changes were measured in 29 control limbs and 35 limbs with venous disease, with mercury-in-silicone rubber strain gauges, for both exercise and elevation. Normalization for arterial flow permitted calculation of the regurgitation rate. Normal (95% confidence) limits for measured and calculated parameters were determined. Specificity was shown by the percent of normal parameter values for control limbs and sensitivity by the percent of abnormal values for extremities with venous disease. Arterial flow significantly altered volume curves. Normalization increased specificity and sensitivity significantly. Calf exercise tests, even normalized, were too insensitive to be reliable. Elevation tests were significantly more sensitive for determining regurgitation. However, exercise tests were useful and supplied important information about the calf muscle pump. We conclude that, as currently used, many limb volume test procedures are unsuitable but could be improved significantly by normalization to reduce the confounding effect of regional arterial flow and use of an elevation test to measure regurgitation.