Related Experiment Videos
Closure of hemicorporectomy with bilateral subtotal thigh flaps
D W Chang1, J E Lee, Z L Gokaslan
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030-4095, USA. dchang@mdanderson.org
Abstract:
Hemicorporectomy is typically performed with a circumferential truncal incision, and the wound is closed primarily. Wound disruption is a common complication, especially at the base of the wound closure and posteriorly at the lumbar vertebral level. We report a case of the use of bilateral subtotal thigh flaps for the closure of a hemicorporectomy wound in a patient with a defect extending up to the high lumbar region. The subtotal thigh flap is a well-vascularized thick flap that provides a firm support for the abdominal viscera and is a large flap that can be used to close even a high lumbar defect.