title: A conceptual approach to local flaps.
abstract: Few procedures offer the surgeon a greater opportunity to exercise his surgical and aesthetic judgement than the design and implementation of local flaps about the head and neck. Considerations include skin color and texture match; adequacy of flap blood supply; size, location, and characteristics of the donor site defect; functional capability of the proposed flap; nature of skin tension lines created; and number of surgical procedures required. A systematic approach to local flap design and implementation is presented, and illustrations of the geometric principles involved are included.
mesh_terms: D002921:Cicatrix / Q000517:prevention & control; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D006257:Head / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D009333:Neck / Q000601:surgery; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D012399:Rotation; D012867:Skin / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000098:blood supply; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013997:Time Factors