title: The thigh as a model for free style free flaps.
abstract: Following a set of principles, free style free flaps may be harvested from any region of the body where a Doppler signal is heard. By using a retrograde dissection technique, the skin vessel is traced through its subfascial course (intramuscular or septocutaneous), until adequate length or vessel size is achieved. If a "free style free flap" is not originally planned, this approach can be usedwhen anatomic variations or unexpected events are encountered. The thigh, a region that is familiar to the surgical team at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, was chosen as the site to begin exploring this style of flap harvest. Nine flaps were harvested as free style free flaps from the thigh and were used successfully for the reconstruction of complex defects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 199 Tung Hwa North Road, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mardini
authors.forename: Feng-Chou
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Fu-Chan
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000601:surgery; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000601:surgery; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*; D013848:Thigh / Q000098:blood supply*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler