Some factors involved in the skin flap delay phenomenon

The use of skin flaps for reconstruction following extensive ablative surgery in the head and neck area has played a major role on the improvement of the results being attained. Using the pig as an experimental animal various factors of flap orientation, skin incisions and flap undermining were investigated. Results confirmed the ineffectiveness of incision alone as a delay maneurver and suggested that anatomical orientation of cutaneous skin flaps was not of crucial significance. The complete mechanism of the positive effects of delay remains undefined.