title: [The design of the expanded flap for the repair of the temporal and cheek area].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the design of an expanded flap at the temporal and cheek area.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expanded flap was used for the repair of 619 temporal and cheek defects secondary to scar, nevus or hemangioma excision. In the frontal area, the rotational flap was usually used. For the repair of the cheek, the applied flap included the rotational, advanced, and transposition flap from the neck, as well as the pedicle flap from the thoracic area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight thoracic-deltoid flaps had distal necrosis of 1 approximately 5 cm. Of them, 5 flaps were repositioned with subsequent good result; the other 3 flaps underwent skin grafting. The five facial expanded flaps showed distal necrosis of 0.5 approximately 1 cm. Of them, 4 flaps occurred delayed healing, 1 flap underwent skin grafting. Expander extrusion happened in 41 cases (6.62%), which resulted in deficiency of the expanded area. Satisfactory results were achieved in all the other cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our experience, careful design of the flap is very important for obtainingbetter surgical results and decreasing complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
authors.forename: Bao-Hua
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Yu-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Ai
authors.forename: Kai-Hua
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Shu-Zhong
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Xian-Jie
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Lin-xi
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002610:Cheek / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome