Clinical application of free groin flap in repairing soft tissue defect in extremities / 中华显微外科杂志

Objective:To observe and summarise the clinical effect of free groin flap in repairing of soft tissue defects in extremities, and to explore the selection of main vessel in a flap.Methods:From January 2018 to January 2021, 146 patients with soft tissue defects in extremities were treated with free groin flaps in the Department of Hand and Microsurgery, Guangxi Guilin Xing'an Jieshou Orthopaedic Hospital. There were 126 patients with traumatic wound and 20 with chronic ulcer. In addition, 86 of the patients with bone fracture and exposure of internal fixator, 18 with tendon, nerve or artery injuries or defects. There were 6 patients with severe infection and other 3 with deep dead space. The sizes of wound ranged from 2.0 cm×3.0 cm to 25.0 cm×6.0 cm. The flap was the same size as the wound and not enlarged. Firstly, the superficial branch of superficial iliac circumflex artery was explored as the axial artery for all the flaps, then the blood supply vessels of the flap were selected according to the availability of the axial artery. The size, course, adjacent and possible length to be freed of the axial artery and the accompanying veins of a flap were recorded. The donor sites were directly sutured and closed. All patients were included in the postoperative follow-up at outpatient clinic.Results:Free groin flap were used to repair the wounds in all patients. However, the main blood supply vessel of the flap was not constant, and it was often required to adjust the way of flap harvesting. Superficial circumflex iliac artery was taken as the axial vessels in 141 patients (96.6%), among them, 133 cases(94.3%) had the superficial branch as the axis and 5 cases (3.6%) had deep branch as the axis. Three patients (2.1%) had the bone and soft tissue defects reconstructed with vascularised iliac mosaic osteocutaneous flap with superficial circumflex iliac artery as axial vessel and 5 cases(3.4%) had the superficial epigastric artery as axial vessel. The axial arteries were measured as follow: the superficial branch of the superficial circumflex iliac artery was 0.5-0.9 mm in diameter and 7.0-9.0 cm in length, the outer diameter of the deep branch was 1.2-1.4 mm and 9.0-11.0 cm in length, and the outer diameter of superficial epigastric artery was 1.0-1.6 mm and 8.0-11.3 cm in length. All the flaps survived smoothly after surgery and the follow-up period ranged 6-40 (mean 26) months. The texture of the flaps was soft with good function.Conclusion:Free groin flap can be used to repair soft tissue defects in extremities. The main axial vessel is the superficial branch of the superficial circumflex iliac artery, followed by the deep branch or the trunk. The superficial abdominal artery can also be used as an axial vessel. Under the circumstances, the flap design needs to be adjusted without changing the supply area

Therapeutic analysis of severely contracture of the first web space with mocrosurgical operation / 中华显微外科杂志

Objective To investigate the methods and the therapeutic effects of groin flap and stylus recurrent branch of radial artery flap for the repair of severely contracture of the first web space. Methods From March 2007 to six 2009,45 patients with severely contracture of the first web space received treatment of groin flaps and stylus recurrent branch of radial artery flaps, with 6 to 12 months clinical observation. Among then, 33 patients received treatment of groin flaps, 12 patients received treatment of stylus recurrent branch of radial artery flaps, and 28 patients received the first web space widening as well as functional reconstruction of thumb abduction. Results Most of the flaps healed by first intention but also with distal necrosis for 3 stylus recurrent branch of radial artery flaps and 1 groin flap. And the weth of the first web space of all patients were more than 90% of comparison. From clinical observation,function of opposition recovered well. While some groinflaps got a litte fat and clumsy .The color of most flaps was as similar as normal besides, some groin flaps occurrenced pigmentation. Conclusion Children and adults below 50 yesrs should choose the groin flap, and aged people and adults more than 50yesrs shuould choose the stylus recurrent branch of radial artery flap firstly.

Indications and Prognostic Factors of Groin Flap for Reconstruction of the Extremities

There are several advantages for groin flap, but its small and unpredictable vessels of pedicle have made it to lose its initial popularity. Although it would be ideal flap when it is focused on its useful advantages such as relative larger size, low donor site morbidity and possible bone graft, there have been few studies for prognostic factors for successful groin flap. Authors intended to determine prognostic factors which are relative with success of free groin flap. From January 1985 to December 2007, 107 patients who underwent groin flap for reconstruction of extremities were selected consecutively. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to determine prognostic factors which were related with success of groin flap. Eighty of 107 (74.8%) flaps survived. There was significant difference in success rate according to the recipient site. Nineteen of 20 cases (95%) survived in upper extremities, but 61 of 87 cases (70.1%) survived in lower extremities, which was statistically significant (p=0.022). Univariate analysis showed that mean diameter of donor veins was significantly larger in success group (p=0.021). Groin flap is recommended for reconstruction of upper extremities than lower extremities. It is thought to be critical that surgeons try to match vessel diameters between donor and recipient site.

Staged Reconstruction of the Mangled Hand with the Combined Use of Pedicled Groin Flap and Free Wrap Around Flap

PURPOSE: Despite the free tissue transfer using microsurgical technique being the current trend of soft tissue reconstruction of the hand, the pedicled groin flap has the advantage to provide coverage for the mangled hand without necessitating the use of a damaged arterial system and also providing the benefit of saving the arterial system for later free tissue transfer. This report presents the author's experience using pedicled groin flap in four cases of mangled hands with massive bone and soft tissue defects requiring later thumb reconstruction with the free wrap around flap. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients' age ranged from 30 to 51 years; three patients were male and one was female. The causes of mangled hand included two machinery crush injuries, one laboratory explosion and one motor vehicle accident. While evaluating the post-operative results, factors like flap survival, complications, stability in opposition, pinch power and 2 point discrimination were taken into account. RESULTS: All massive soft tissue defects of the hands were completely covered with pedicled groin flap successfully. The reconstructed thumb using free wrap around flap did not have any limitation in opposition. There was no occurrence of post-operative infection and all the flaps survived completely. The average pinch power was 70% of the contralateral intact thumb and average 2 point discrimination was 10 mm. CONCLUSION: The pedicled groin flap for the reconstruction of the massive soft tissue defects of the hand with subsequent reconstruction of the thumb with a wrap around flap is a very useful procedure. The combined use of pedicled groin flap and wrap around flap allows adequate coverage of sizable soft tissue defects and functional thumb opposition in cases of reconstruction of the mangled hands.

Is the Distant Pedicled Flap Still Useful in Reconstruction of the Injured Hand?

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the necessity of distant pedicled flap in the treatment of soft tissue defects in the hand. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Distant pedicled flap was performed in the 25 hands of 25 patients from 2000 to 2004. There were 20 males and 5 females and mean age was 34 years. The surgery was done for electrical burns in 13 patients, flame burns in 8 patients and crushing injuies in 4 patients. RESULTS: We have performed 25 distant pedicled flaps for the coverage of soft tissue defects in the hands when local and free flaps were unavailable. Soft tissue coverages by distant pedicled flap were completely successful in all the 25 hands. No complication such as total flap loss, marginal flap loss and infection occurred. CONCLUSION: Distant pedicled flaps were very useful alternative method in the treatment of soft tissue defect in the hand.

Resurfacing the Large Penoscrotal Defects with Various Local Flaps after Ablation of Extramammary Paget's Disease

PURPOSE: Penoscrotal extramammary Paget's disease is a rare cutaneous malignancy that primarily affects the elderly. To prevent local recurrence, adequate surgical excision with its intraoperative frozen section, proper reconstruction, and careful follow-ups are required. The present study describes the treatment of patients with penoscrotal extramammary Paget's disease, focusing on the reconstruction after the ablation of lesion. METHODS: Nine patients were selected who had undergone a local pedicle flap procedure due to the large defects after ablation of extramammary Paget's disease of the penoscrotal area, during the period of 1999 to 2005. Wide excision combined with intraoperative frozen sectioning was performed, and the penoscrotal wound was reconstructed with a local skin flap. Three flaps were chosen depending on the size of the defect. If the defect size was small and the scrotal tissue was adequate, scrotal flap(n=5) was enough for its reconstruction. However, as there were large defects with insufficient remnant scrotal tissue, a groin flap(n=2) or an anterolateral thigh flap(n=2) were performed. RESULTS: There were no complications with the postoperative wound. Furthermore, no local recurrence was noted during two to six years of follow-up period (mean average 3.7 years). CONCLUSION: For the resurfacing the penoscrotum at large defects after ablation of extramammary Paget's disease, we performed reconstruction with a local flap. In the aspect of both function and cosmetic concerns, the results were satisfactory.

Penile Resurfacing after Removal of Penile Foreign Body Granuloma

The loss of penile skin, either traumatic or iatrogenic, is sometimes difficult to treat. Especially, treatment of the penile foreign body granuloma is very difficult. Surgical treatment of penile skin defect are a skin graft, flap-to-graft conversion method, and various scrotal flap. But these have many problems such as wound disruption, skin necrosis, skin contracture, and hypertrophic scar. We present our technique for penile resurfacing using apronlike scrotal flap and groin flap. Apron-like scrotal flap has several advantages: one stage operation, short operation time, avoidance of dorsal scar and flap necrosis, maintenance of erectile capacity. Also we think that groin flap is a proper method for the patients who suffer from a large penile skin defect and whose scrotal skin is not available. We did the research in patients with the penile foreign body granuloma who were used the techniques of groin flap and apron like scrotal flap in the operation from March 2000 to February 2002. All the 15 cases showed excellent outcome. Especially, apron like scrotal flap was very beneficial in patients whose scrotal skin was available.

Resurfacing in Penile Paraffinoma by Groin Flap

Paraffinoma induces many unexpected complications such as tissue necrosis, granuloma formation, hypersensitivity, embolism and even carcinoma. The treatment modality is known to be primary repair, flap surgery, skin graft, radiotherapy and high frequency current treatment after the excision of the lesion. Although these methods can remove the paraffinoma and resurface penile shaft, various complications such as skin tension after surgery, hypertrophic scars, difficulty of erection, and deficiency of bulkiness are frequently occurred. Groin flap is the proper method for the patients who want simultaneously soft tissue reconstruction and augmentation of penis. A 32 year-old male patient who visited our clinic had firm mass, abscess, skin necrosis, and dyspareunia after the injection of paraffin into penis 3 months ago. Reconstruction was executed using right side of the groin flap after the radical resection of the whole tissues ruined by infections and infiltration of paraffin. The penile bulkiness, erectile function and duration of erection was all satisfactory. The follow-up period was 7 months after the surgery and no specific complication was developed. Groin flap is the satisfactory method to enhance penile bulkiness as well as resurface the lesion.

Microsurgical Reconstruction of the Extremity Using the Free Vascularized / 대한정형외과학회잡지

In 1973, Daniel and Taylor reported the first successful microsurgical transplantation of the groin flap as a one-stage reconstrutive procedure. The free vascularized groin flap has several advantages, such as its potenitally large size, comfortable position of the patient during operation, minimal donor site morbidity, possible coverage of the donor site scar with a bikini, its multiple arterial and venous system, and the potential for incorporating bone with the overlying skin. The authors perfomed free groin flaps in 36 patients at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine from January 1985 to August 1988. The results were as follows : 1. Good results were obtained in 26 of 36 cases with a 72.2% success rate. The results were better in the upper extremity than the lower extremity. 2. The anatomical classification of the superficial circumflex iliac artery was as follows : a common origin of the superficial circumflex iliac artery and the superficial inferior epigastric artery in 39.5% of cases, an absent superficial inferior epigastric artery with a large compensatory superficial circumflex iliac artery in 36.8%, separate origins of the two vessels in 7.9%, and an origin from a profunda femoral artery in 15.8%. This result was similar to that of Daniel and Taylor. 3. The average diameter of the artery was 1.0mm and the average length of the vascular pedicle was 9.0mm. 4. The results were better in the end to side anastomosis than the end to end anastomosis, but there was no statistical significance. 5. In the 10 failed cases, free scapular flaps were performed in 4 cases, skin grafts in 5 cases, and the cross leg flap in one case. 6. The donor sites healed well by primary closure without functional disturbance except in one cases in which secondary closure was done. In conclusion, the free vascularized groin flap can be used without restriction as a onestage reconstruction of an extensive soft tissue injury of the extremity.