Repair fingertip defect and soft tissue defect of donor site with nerve anastomosed relay flap / 中华显微外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the method and effect of repairing fingertip defect and soft tissue defect in donor area by relay flap with suture nerve.Methods:From January 2017 to May 2019, 11 cases of fingertip defects were repaired with reverse island fascial pedicle flap of dorsal digital artery sutured with nerve, with a flap area of 0.6 cm×1.2 cm-1.6 cm×2.0 cm, and the flap donor area was repaired with dorsal metacarpal artery cutaneous branch flap. The patients were followed-up by outpatient, reexamination and WeChat interviews.Results:Twenty-two flaps of 11 cases survived completely and the wound healed in stage I. The postoperative follow-up ranged from 3 to 36 months, with an average of 13 months. The flap and pedicle were not bloated, the shape of finger was satisfactory, the texture was soft, and the skin color was close to the skin of finger. Sensory recovery≥S 3. The TPD of the flap was 6-11 mm, with an average of 8.4 mm. Hand function was evaluated according to the Trial Standard of Upper Limb Function Evaluation of Chinese Medical Association: excellent in 10 cases and good in 1 case. The patients were satisfied with the repair effect and resumed their daily life and work. Conclusion:This operation is simple, does not need to sacrifice the main blood vessels and nerves, can restore the good shape and sensction of the affected finger, with the activity close to normal. It is an effective method to repair the fingertip defect.