[The design of the expanded flap for the repair of the temporal and cheek area].
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.
Pan
Bao-Hua
BH
Department of Plastic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
Ai
Yu-Feng
YF
Lu
Kai-Hua
KH
Guo
Shu-Zhong
SZ
Xia
Wei
W
Han
Yan
Y
Ma
Xian-Jie
XJ
Zhang
Lin-xi
LX
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