Management of radiation-induced ulcers by singlestage reconstructive surgery: a prospective study

Radiation-induced ulcers are a late-stage skin reaction after radiation therapy for cancer treatment. The present study examined the possibility of using a single-stage reconstructive procedure to manage radiation-related wounds. This prospective study recruited 30 participants who underwent radiation treatment for cancer or hemangioma. The patients ranged in age from 15 to 80 years. They were admitted to the Plastic, Reconstructive, and Regenerative Centre of Viet Nam National Burn Hospital from October 2013 to September 2017. For each patient, the surgeons discussed which reconstructive method would yield the best outcome. Patients' demographic data and information on the radiation-induced ulcer, the reconstructive method used, complications, and length of hospital stay were recorded. The mean age of all participants was 50 ± 36.3 years, and female patients were predominant (83.3%). Eighteen perforator flaps, five random-pattern flaps, three free flaps, three tissue expander flaps, and one full-thickness skin graft were employed, with no instances of recurrence or complications, except for total flap loss in two cases. The median length of stay was 43 days. These data suggest that immediate reconstruction may be a valuable option for managing radiation-induced ulcers.