Expanded lateral neck flap combined with posterior auricular flap for facial skin defect / 中华整形外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To explore the blood supply of expanded lateral neck flap combined with posterior auricular flap pedicled on anterior neck and the feasibility of this kind of flap for facial vulnus′resurfacing.@*Methods@#At the first stage of the treatment, one rectangular expander was implanted in lateral neck in the subcutaneous pockets, overlying the platysma, the volume of the expander is about 200-600 ml. After 2-3 months inflation, the pre-expanded lateral neck flap combined with posterior auricular flap was advanced at the second stage of the operation, the flap was rotated to lateral face to resurface the vulnus defects located on anterior auricle.@*Results@#Twelve cases of facial wounds were included in this research from January 2009 to November 2016. The size of the expanded flaps were ranged from 6 cm×12 cm to 7 cm×15 cm. According to 2 to 24 months follow-up postoperatively, 10 months in average, two flaps showed venous retardation at distal part of expanded flaps, which were recorvered with one-week dress changing after excoriation. The other ten flaps survived with good appearance and function. The flaps matched well to the recipient defects in terms of color, character and elasticity. The appearance and function of face and neck were ideally adjusted after treatment.@*Conclusions@#By expanding lateral neck skin overlying platysma, the expanded lateral neck flap combined with posterior auricular flap pedicled on anterior neck was obtained with high quality and maximum use of blood supply in the anterior neck, which guaranteed appearance and function of the donor area and the recipient area at the same time.