Clinical experience with orbicularis oculi myocutaneous flaps in the temporal area

There are many methods to repair facial skin defects in clinical practice. The desired outcome for the surgeon and the patient is the restoration of facial appearance and function. The temporal region is one of the ideal donor sites for the repair of a facial skin defect, because this area is relatively inconspicuous and the skin quality is similar to that of the face. In the past, the temporal region was always used as the donor site of the local flap for repairing the facial skin defect. Because the blood supply of the skin comes from the subjacent tissue mainly rather than from the contiguous tissue, the pedicles of the local flaps are short, limiting the use of this area as a donor site. From 1993 to 1996, the anatomy of the orbicularis oculi myocutaneous flap in five cadavers was studied; what was learned allowed for the use of this flap to repair skin defects of the face in 13 patients. In this paper, the clinical experiences using the orbicularis oculi myocutaneous flaps to repair skin defects of the face and the surgical anatomy of this myocutaneous flap are discussed.