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Tissue expander complications in plastic surgery: a 10-year experience
Marcelo Sacramento Cunha1, Hugo Alberto Nakamoto, Marisa Roma Herson
1Division of Plastic Surgery, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo.
Revista Do Hospital Das Clinicas
|July 16, 2002
Summary
Tissue expansion is a safe and effective plastic surgery technique. While complications like exposure and infection occur, outcomes are comparable to literature, with age and site influencing risk.
Area of Science:
- Plastic Surgery
- Reconstructive Surgery
Background:
- Tissue expanders are valuable tools in plastic surgery.
- Initially developed for specific uses, tissue expansion has broad applications.
- Over 300 tissue expanders were used in 164 patients between 1990 and 1999.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze complications associated with tissue expansion.
- To identify prognostic factors influencing complication rates.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 315 tissue expander procedures.
- Indications included burns (50%), trauma (32%), and post-surgical sequelae (8.8%).
- Expander placement focused on scalp, trunk, and neck areas.
Main Results:
- Overall complication rate was 22.2%, with expander exposure (50%), infection (24%), and poor function (12.8%) being most common.
- Minor complications were more frequent in children (0-10 years).
- Major complications were higher in face and neck expansions compared to trunk expansions.
Conclusions:
- Tissue expansion outcomes in this study align with existing literature.
- Tissue expansion is confirmed as a safe and effective surgical technique.