The radial forearm flap as a pedicled flap for resurfacing a scarred nose.
The radial forearm flap, applied as a free flap, has been shown to be very versatile, if covering a defect with a thin, flexible flap is of predominant importance. The advantage of this technique compensates for any disadvantages in the donor area. Under certain circumstances it is a better solution to design the radial forearm flap as a distant, vascular pedicled flap than to perform it as a free flap with microvascular anastomoses. In treatment of this patient we used a distally pedicled radial forearm flap to resurface a burned nose and to reconstruct the tip of the nose. In this case a scarred forehead prevented us from using an expanded forehead flap. The increased morbidity of a distant, pedicled flap was well accepted as the price for preventing additional scarring in the face, as would have occurred in the case of a free flap, through the exposure of vessels for the vascular anastomoses.
Frey
M
M
Department of Surgery, Medical School, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
D000293:Adolescent; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm; D006801:Humans; D009667:Nose Deformities, Acquired / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000379:methods*