Tissue expander complications in plastic surgery: a 10-year experience.
BACKGROUND
Tissue expanders have been of great value in plastic surgery. Tissue expansion was developed for a specific indication; however, within a very short time, the concept of tissue expansion found wide applicability. From 1990 to 1999, 315 expanders in 164 patients were utilized. A retrospective analysis of complications and prognostic factors for complications were done.


METHODS
The indications for tissue expansion were burns (50%), trauma (32%), and sequelae of previous surgery (8.8%). The expanders were inserted most frequently in the scalp, trunk and neck.


RESULTS
There were 22.2% of complications and the most common were expander exposure (50%), infection (24%) and bad function of the expander (12.8%). The present study revealed an increased rate of minor complications in the group of 0 to 10 years of age and an increased rate of major complications for face and neck expansions compared to trunk expansion. There were no increased complication rates for the other age and anatomic site groups, previous expansion, concomitant expansion and type of expander used.


CONCLUSIONS
The outcomes from tissue expansion procedures done in our hospital are similar to those reported in the literature. Tissue expansion is a good and safe technique.
Division of Plastic Surgery, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo.
Marcelo Sacramento
MS
Cunha
Hugo Alberto
HA
Nakamoto
Marisa Roma
MR
Herson
José Carlos
JC
Faes
Rolf
R
Gemperli
Marcus Castro
MC
Ferreira
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015626:Tissue Expansion / Q000009:adverse effects*