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Combined Use of Anterolateral Thigh and Gluteal Fold Flaps for Complex Groin Reconstruction
Masahide Fujiki1, Shimpei Miyamoto1, Masaki Arikawa1
1Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan.
Abstract:
We present a case of an epithelioid sarcoma of the right groin in which wide resection resulted in a complex groin defect involving the full thickness of the abdominal wall and the perineum. We reconstructed the defect using a combination of pedicled anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap and gluteal fold flap. The functional and aesthetic results were satisfactory. The ALT flap with a robust iliotibial tract is the flap of choice for abdominal wall reconstruction; however, the area covered by the skin island of the flap is restricted because the skin island is tethered to the iliotibial tract. In such cases, a gluteal fold flap is ideal for an ALT flap. Therefore, using a combination of a pedicled ALT flap and a gluteal fold flap could be a reliable option for the reconstruction of a complex groin defect.
