Our experience using tissue expansion in reconstructive surgery

Expansion of tissues is a physiological phenomenon observed in processes such as pregnancy, breast growth, tumor development, and formation of seromas or hematomas. Over the last decade, there has been an increase in the number of patients with post-burn and post-traumatic defects and contractures. After Neumann introduced it in 1957, surgical treatment with tissue expanders has become an established method for managing major defects that do not have enough surrounding tissue to form a flap. This technique allows tissue defects to be covered with tissue that has similar color, thickness, and elasticity to the surrounding area. When combined with other plastic surgery methods, tissue expansion facilitates the coverage of large soft tissue defects of various etiologies with minimal formation of new scars and minimal donor site morbidity.