Soft tissue reconstruction with omental free flap in complex upper extremity injuries: report of 13 cases

Although there is a wide list of free flaps options for soft tissue reconstruction of complex upper extremity injuries, the omental flap has some useful anatomical and biochemical advantages. We report 13 patients who underwent hand or upper extremity reconstruction with omental free flaps. Nine patients had extensive tissue damage, resulting with digital cyanosis and hypothermia, and some of them with areas of cutaneous necrosis, or avulsed tissues with tendons and bones exposed or infected. The remaining four patients had minor extensive tissue damage without circulatory problems. Patient's average age was 34.6 years. Twelve flaps were harvested through laparotomy and one laparoscopically. All flaps were covered with a skin graft. None of the flaps were lost. The average follow-up time was 20 months. There was one major and two minor donor site complications. One patient had minor loss of the skin graft in the recipient site, and two required minor additional surgeries to improve the appearance or function of the hand or upper extremity. There were no late abdominal complications in any patient. The morphological appearance and functional results were favorable in 11 of them, and permitted their reincorporation into society without the need for additional complex surgeries. Only two patients had a poor outcome. Our experience confirms that the omental flap may be a good option for reconstruction of some complex hand and upper extremity injuries.