Refining the intrinsic chimera flap: a review

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Reconstructive Surgery
• Microsurgery

Background:

• Reconstructing complex tissue defects with varied spatial relationships is challenging, particularly with limited recipient vessels.
• Chimera flaps, categorized as prefabricated or intrinsic, are recognized for their reconstructive utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the definition of a true intrinsic chimeric flap.
• To demonstrate the versatility of intrinsic chimeric flaps in reconstructing complex defects.

Main Methods:

• Defining the characteristics of a true intrinsic chimeric flap.
• Illustrating flap procurement from seven distinct vascular systems: lateral femoral circumflex, deep circumflex iliac, inferior gluteal, peroneal, subscapular, thoracodorsal, and radial arteries.

Main Results:

• A true intrinsic chimeric flap comprises multiple tissue types.
• Each tissue component is supplied by separate vascular branches or perforators originating from a single vascular source.
• These vascular branches possess adequate length for three-dimensional spatial freedom during insetting.

Conclusions:

• Intrinsic chimeric flaps are highly versatile reconstructive tools.
• Numerous donor sites exist for harvesting true intrinsic chimeric flaps.
• This flap design facilitates reconstruction of complex deformities, addressing limitations of recipient vessel availability.