[The gracilis muscle as musculocutaneous flap. Evaluation of 20 cases]

The use of gracilis as muscular or myocutaneous flap is very well-known. The authors report 20 cases of gracilis flap including 13 reconstructions of the vaginal cavity following extended abdomino-perineal resection. Some technical points concerning the localization of the cutaneous part of the flap and the pedicle dissection are discussed. The use of gracilis flap is still limited in surgical teams following extended abdomino-perineal resection, nevertheless it is a very useful flap because of its low morbidity, the shortening of patient hospitalization and the very satisfying aesthetic result of the neo-vaginal cavity.