• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.121-124
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• 2014

The use of the implantable Doppler device eases the burden of free flap monitoring, and allows caregivers to notify healthcare personnel of a potential vascular event. A 24-year-old female patient underwent anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap surgery to provide a buried flap on the left temporal area for a depressed and infected skull wound. The author was able to salvage the flap from two venous occlusions, which was made possible by early notifications from the caregiver who reported changes in the Doppler signal.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.184-191
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• 1999

Reconstruction of soft tissue defect of the foot, ankle and distal tibial area has been and remains a challenging problem for reconstructive surgeons. We treated 19 patients who showed soft tissue defect in these area with distally based superficial sural artery flaps, including four adipofascial flaps, two sensate flaps. The size of the soft tissue defect was from $4{\times}5cm\;to\;8{\times}10cm$. In nine cases, we preserved sural nerve. Seventeen flaps survived completely, but one flap failed and another flap showed partial skin necrosis at the distal half. In failed cases, lesser saphenous vein was ruptured at initial injury. The advantage of this flap is a constant and reliable blood supply without sacrifice of major artery or sensory nerve. Elevation of the flap is technically easy and quick. The pedicle is long and the island flap can be transffered as far as to the instep area. It also has the potential for sensate flap, innervated by the lateral sural cutaneous nerve. But for appropriate venous drainage small saphenous vein must be preserved.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.571-577
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• 2009

Purpose: The Provision of thin and pliable tissue and the adequate coverage of tendon - gliding surface is necessary for a soft tissue defect of the hand with exposure of bone, tendon and muscle. This report will discuss our experience with anterolateral thigh fascial free flap for the reconstruction of the soft tissue defect of the hand. Methods: Between February 2004 and August 2008, seven patients with full - thickness soft tissue defects of the hand were reconstructed by means of a composite anterolateral thigh fascial free flap. There were soft tissue defects associated with trauma (n=5), scar contracture (n=1) and necrosis due to ischemia (n=1). Flaps were harvested from the anterolateral thigh as adipofascial flaps with only a small sheet of fascia and fatty tissue above it. The fascia and the skin of the donor site was closed directly and delayed split - thickness skin graft was performed. Result: All flaps survived completely. The size of the transferred flap ranged from $2{\times}4cm$ to $5{\times}8cm$. Thin flap coverage was possible without secondary debulking operations. It left minimal donor site morbidity with a linear scar. In one case, the thigh muscle herniation in the donor site was developed. Conclusion: The anterolateral thigh fascial free flap provided thin and pliable tissue which can establish a tendon - gliding mechanism, minimal bulk, minimal donor site morbidity. The disadvantages of this technique were the need for a skin graft and the muscle herniation of donor site.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.605-610
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• 2009

Purpose: Substantial tissue necrosis after snake bites requiring coverage with flap surgery is extremely rare. In this article, we report 7 cases of soft tissue defects in the upper and the lower extremities caused by snake bites, which needed to be covered with flaps. Among the vast mass of publications on snake bites there has been no report that focuses on flap coverage of soft tissue defects due to snake bite sequelae. Methods: Seven cases of soft tissue defects with tendon, ligament, or bone exposure after snake bites were included. All patients were males without comorbidities, the average age was 35 years. All of them required coverage with a flap. In 6 cases, the defect was localized on the upper extremity, in one case the lesion was on the lower extremity. Local flaps were used in 6 cases, one case was covered with a free flap. The surgical procedures included one kite flap, one cross finger flap and digital nerve reconstruction with a sural nerve graft, one reverse proximal phalanx island flap, one groin flap, one adipofascial flap, one neurovascular island flap, and one anterolateral thigh free flap. The average interval from injury to flap surgery was 23.7 days. Results: All flaps survived without complication. All patients regained a good range of motion in the affected extremity. Donor site morbidities were not observed. The case with digital nerve reconstruction recovered a static two point discrimination of 7 mm. The patient with foot reconstruction can wear normal shoes without a debulking procedure. Conclusion: The majority of soft tissue affection after snake bites can be treated conservatively. Some severe cases, however, may require the coverage with flap surgery after radical debridement, especially, if there is exposure of tendon, bone or neurovascular structures. There is no doubt that definite coverage should be performed as soon as possible. But we also want to point out that this principle must not lead to a premature coverage. If the surgeon is not certain that the wound is free of necrotic tissue or remnants of venom, it is better to take enough time to get a proper wound before flap surgery in order to obtain a good functional and cosmetic result.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.116-119
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• 2006

Management of chronic wound has been a great problem to many surgeons because the wound is usually associated with an underlying disease of the patient. Without accurate diagnosis and treatment of the disease, the wound can not be healed. Systemic vasculitis is a rare systemic disease which causes inflammation and obstruction of the vessels. This autoimmune disease involves multiple organs and may inflict skin wound spontaneously without traumas. It would improve or aggravate the wound in proportion to the activities of the disease. Our experience is a case of 28-year-old female who has had chronic ulcers on her right foot, especially on the great toe for 1 year. Although she had several operations of sympathectomy, debridement and artificial dermal graft, her wound was not improved. She has been diagnosed as systemic vasculitis during the evaluation for histopathology and cause of fever and pancytopenia. After medical treatments, she had the operation of adipofascial turnover flap coverage and skin graft, and the wound was improved without any complication or relapse. The diagnosis and treatment of the underlying disease should be ahead of the management of chronic wound.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.580-586
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• 2022

Background Appropriate position of the nipple-areolar complex (NAC) is crucial following nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM). The prevention of NAC malposition in two-stage implant-based breast reconstruction has not been well described, and the efficacy of the techniques has not been evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of our technique to prevent NAC malposition in patients who underwent implant-based breast reconstruction after NSM. Methods Patients who underwent two-stage implant-based breast reconstruction with NSM between January 2012 and December 2019 were included. We used a surgical technique to fix the NAC to the rigid base, assuming a pocket-like appearance, with pectoralis major muscle and lateral adipofascial flap at the time of tissue expander (TE) insertion. Patients were classified into two groups based on the performance of the technique for the prevention of NAC malposition. Results In 35 patients who underwent implant-based breast reconstruction after NSM, the clavicle-to-nipple distance ratio was 96.0±5.0% in those who underwent NAC fixation and 86.1±11.5% in those who did not undergo NAC fixation. Conclusions Using our technique, NAC malposition could be prevented in two-stage implant-based breast reconstruction. NAC fixation during TE insertion was found to be extremely effective. This procedure successfully prevented NAC malposition without the formation of extra scars.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.520-528
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• 2014

Background As the breast cancer incidence has increased, breast-conserving surgery has replaced total mastectomy as the predominant procedure. However, centrally located breast cancers pose significant challenges to successful breast-conserving surgeries. Therefore, we performed partial mastectomy and oncoplastic procedures on centrally located breast cancer as a means of partial breast reconstruction. The authors examined and evaluated the functional and aesthetic usefulness of this reconstruction method. Methods From January 2007 to June 2011, 35 patients with centrally located breast cancers who underwent various oncoplastic procedures based on the breast size and resection volume. The oncoplastic procedures performed included volume displacement surgical techniques such as purse-string suture, linear suture, and reduction mammaplasty. Other oncoplastic procedures included volume replacement procedures with an adipofascial, thoracoepigastric, intercostal artery perforator, thoracodorsal artery perforator, or latissimus dorsi flap. Results Mean patient age was 49 years, and mean follow-up period was 11 months. In cases of small to moderate-sized breasts and resection volumes <50 g, volume displacement procedures were performed. In cases of resection volumes >50 g, volume replacement procedures were performed. In cases of larger breasts and smaller resection volumes, glandular reshaping was performed. Finally, in cases of larger breasts and larger resection volumes, reduction mammaplasty was performed. This reconstruction method also elicits a high patient satisfaction rate with no significant complications. Conclusions In centrally located breast cancer, oncoplastic surgery considering breast size and resection volume is safe and provides appropriate aesthetic outcomes. Therefore, our method is advisable for breast cancer patients who elect to conserve their breasts and retain a natural breast shape.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.166-171
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• 2017

Background: Localized scleroderma is characterized by a thickening of the skin from excessive collagen deposits. It is not a fatal disease, but quality of life can be adversely affected due to changes in skin appearance, joint contractures, and, rarely, serious deformities of the face and extremities. We present six cases of localized scleroderma in face from our surgical practice. Methods: We reviewed six localized scleroderma cases that were initially treated with medication and then received follow-up surgery between April 2003 and February 2015. Six patients had facial lesions. These cases presented with linear dermal sclerosis on the forehead, oval subcutaneous and dermal depression in the cheek. Results: En coup de sabre (n=4), and oval-shaped lesion of the face (n=2) were successfully treated. Surgical methods included resection with or without Z-plasty (n=3), fat graft (n=1), dermofat graft (n=1), and adipofascial free flap (n=1). Deformities of the affected parts were surgically corrected without reoccurrence. Conclusion: We retrospectively reviewed six cases of localized scleroderma that were successfully treated with surgery. And we propose an algorithm for selecting the best surgical approach for individual localized scleroderma cases. Although our cases were limited in number and long-term follow-up will be necessary, we suggest that surgical management should be considered as an option for treating scleroderma patients.