Reconstruction of Cheek Defect with Facial Artery Perforator Flap

안면동맥 천공지피판술을 이용한 뺨결손의 재건

Purpose: To reconstruct the midface, local flaps such as nasolabial flaps have been frequently used. These local flaps, however, have the shortcomings of requiring a secondary operation or limitations in the movement of the flap. Thus, new methods have been developed. This paper reports a case wherein the basal cell carcinoma on the cheek was resected and the skin and soft tissue defect was successfully treated using a facial artery perforator flap. Methods: A 68-year-old female consulted the authors on the basal cell carcinoma that developed on her cheek. The mass was fully resected and revealed a $2.3{\times}2.3cm$ defective region. Using a Doppler ultrasonography, the facial artery path was traced, and using a loupe magnification, the facial artery perforator flap was elevated and the defective region was covered with the flap. Results: The flap developed early venous congestion, but it disappeared without any treatment. Six months after the surgery, the patient was satisfied with the postoperative result. Conclusion: The facial artery perforator flap has a thin pedicle. It offers a big arc of the rotation that allows free movement and one-stage operation. These strengths make the method useful for the reconstruction of the midface among other procedures.