Thoracoumbilical flap: experience with 33 cases

From August 1996 to June 2000, 33 free thoracoumbilical flaps were transferred to reconstruct a variety of soft-tissue defects. The size of the flaps ranged from 10 to 40 cm in length and 8 to 25 cm in width. The blood supply to the skin island came from the largest periumbilical perforator of the deep inferior epigastric vessels. The main indications were complex extremity trauma or soft-tissue tumor resection with extensive skin loss, either acute or postprimary. The overall success rate was 100 percent (33/33). The donor area was closed directly in 10- to 12-cm-wide flaps, leaving an inconspicuous scar. Larger flaps required skin grafting. After a 2-year follow-up, all flaps have healed uneventfully and donor abdominal morbidity is minimal.