Reconstruction of the eyelid using a myocutaneous island flap

Traditionally, skin flaps have been based upon a contiguous skin pedicle. Recently the concept has re-emerged that the important blood supply frequently lies subjacent to the flap. A temporally based island flap composed of skin and orbicularis muscle, nourished only by its subjacent pedicle, has been successfully used in the reconstruction of 91 eyelid defects.