Local flaps, including pedicled perforator flaps: anatomy, technique, and applications

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Reconstructive Surgery
• Microsurgery

Background:

• Local flaps are a cornerstone of reconstructive surgery, utilizing adjacent tissue for wound closure.
• Understanding the diverse types and applications of local flaps is crucial for successful surgical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of local flaps, including geometric, axial, and perforator types.
• To analyze the principles, advantages, disadvantages, and applications of each flap category.
• To detail the design and dissection techniques for local flaps, including perforator and propeller variants.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of existing knowledge on local flap reconstruction.
• Analysis of principles, advantages, disadvantages, and applications of various local flap types.
• Description of surgical techniques for design and dissection of local flaps, including perforator and propeller flaps.

Main Results:

• Local flaps offer reconstructive options using nearby tissues, providing good color, thickness, and texture match.
• Local perforator flaps can be harvested from various body sites, addressing diverse clinical challenges.
• These flaps allow for primary donor-site closure and share advantages with other local flaps.

Conclusions:

• Local flaps, particularly local perforator flaps, represent a significant advancement in reconstructive surgery.
• Their versatility, tissue matching, and donor-site advantages make them highly valuable.
• Increased familiarity with local perforator flaps is expected to drive their wider adoption in clinical practice.