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Reconstruction of the face with skin-grafted muscle flaps: optimizing the aesthetic outcome
A Cordova1, S D'Arpa, S Di Lorenzo
1Chirurgia Plastica e Ricostruttiva, Dipartimento di Discipline Chirurgiche ed Oncologiche, Universitá degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia.
Background:
Cutaneous facial defects repaired with perforator or fasciocutaneous flaps do not always give optimal aesthetic results due to excess bulk and colour mismatch. The authors present their experience in reconstruction of cutaneous facial defects with skin-grafted free muscle flaps.
Materials And Methods:
From May 2004 to May 2006, 9 serratus anterior, 2 gracilis and 1 vastus lateralis skin-grafted free muscle flaps were used on 12 patients, after cancer excision in 11 cases and after hardware exposure in 1 case. Full thickness skin grafts were taken from the supraclavicular skin in 3 cases, from the groin in 1 case and from the muscle donor site in 8.
Results:
No major complications were observed. Results were excellent in terms of contour and colour match. In the elderly, FTSGs taken from the muscle harvesting incision seem to eventually make a good colour match with the facial skin. No relevant donor site morbidity was observed with the muscles used in this series.
Conclusions:
In the search for good aesthetic results in facial skin reconstruction, skin-grafted muscle flaps permit optimal contour and colour match to be achieved with little donor site morbidity and a shorter operating time.
