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Updated: Jul 22, 2026

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Minimally Invasive Thumb-sized Pterional Craniotomy for Surgical Clip Ligation of Unruptured Anterior Circulation Aneurysms
Published on: August 11, 2015
The "shutter flap" for large defects of the forehead
N S Levine1, W J Sahl, J B Stewart
1Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, USA.
Annals of Plastic Surgery
|April 1, 1996
Summary
Reconstructing forehead defects with exposed bone is difficult. A novel surgical technique uses two flaps of galea frontalis and skin, transposed like a camera shutter, to effectively close large wounds.
Area of Science:
- Plastic Surgery
- Reconstructive Surgery
- Dermatology
Background:
- Central forehead defects with exposed bone pose significant reconstructive challenges.
- Existing methods may be complex or yield suboptimal aesthetic outcomes.
Observation:
- A novel surgical technique is presented for forehead reconstruction.
- The method involves transposing two superiorly based flaps of galea frontalis and skin medially.
Findings:
- The transposed flaps create a "camera shutter" effect, facilitating wound closure.
- Full-thickness skin grafts are utilized to manage donor sites effectively.
Implications:
- This technique offers a simple and efficient solution for large forehead wound closure.
- It may improve patient outcomes in reconstructive surgery for complex facial defects.
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