Biplanar-pivoted V-Y Flap for Reconstruction of Medial Canthal Defects

To determine the safety and effectiveness of a biplanar-pivoted V-Y flap design in reconstructing medial canthal defects of all sizes.

Retrospective review of patients who underwent repair of medial canthal region defects with the biplanar-pivoted V-Y flap from January 2016 to May 2021. Variables collected included age, gender, surgical indication, defect sizes and location, flap(s) and/or graft(s) used, and follow-up time. Outcome measures included complications, patient satisfaction with cosmesis, ability to close the defect with minimal wound tension, and additional surgeries.

Eighteen cases of medial canthal, nasal sidewall, and nasojugal fold area reconstruction were performed using a biplanar-pivoted V-Y flap in 18 patients. The cohort included 7 males and 11 females with a mean age of 72.4 years (range, 52-92 years) and mean follow-up time of 4.4 months (range, 1-14 months). Mean defect size was 2.0 × 1.4 cm (range, 0.5-5.5 cm). Eight patients received concomitant full-thickness skin grafts, five patients underwent simultaneous rotational flap repair, one patient underwent simultaneous nasoglabellar myocutaneous flap repair, and one patient received a simultaneous traditional, nonbiplanar V-Y plasty of the upper eyelid. All defects were closed with no wound tension. No cases of infection, hemorrhage, or wound dehiscence occurred during follow-up. Complications included mild ectropion (2 patients) and mild tip necrosis (1 patient). No patients elected for reoperation. No trapdoor deformity was observed. No patients underwent reoperation for local tumor recurrence.

The extended mobility of the biplanar-pivoted V-Y flap provides excellent closure of defects involving the medial canthal region with minimal surgical complications.