Advanced gourd-shaped flap with frontal branch of superficial temporal artery for defects after resection of per-auricular tumor / 中华整形外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To investigate the therapeutic effect of advanced gourd-shaped flap with frontal branch of superficial temporal artery for defects after resection of per-auricular tumor.@*Methods@#From June 2012 to September 2016, 9 cases with pre-auricular tumor, including 7 cases of basal cell cancer and 2 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, received extended resection operation. The tumor size ranged from 0.5 cm×1.0 cm to 1.0 cm×2.0 cm.Intraoperative frozen specimen was used to make sure no invasion at margin and defect bottom. Based on the size and location of defects, the advanced gourd-shaped flap with frontal branch of superficial temporal arterywas designed to cover the defect. The wounds at donor sites were closed directly. The flap size ranged from 2.0 cm× 5.0 cm to 3.0 cm× 7.5 cm.@*Results@#The flaps in all the 9 cases survived completely with primary healing and no complication, like facial paralysis or abnormal feeling. The patients were followed up for 6-36 months with inconspicuous scarandno tumor relapse. Satisfactory cosmetic and functional result can be achieved. The flaps had good match in color with the surrounding tissue.@*Conclusions@#The advanced gourd-shaped flap with frontal branch of superficial temporal arteryhas a reliable blood supply and flexible transverse method with satisfactory cosmetic result. It is one of the ideal method for reconstruction of pre-auricular soft tissue defects.