Tissue expansion 1984-1999: a 15-year review.
We assessed all patients who underwent tissue expansion, excluding breast reconstructions, between 1984 and 1999. A total of 237 patients had 257 expansions, normally for distorted scars, 202 of 257 cases (79%). Their mean age was 27 (range 7-67) years, most being women, 149 of 237 (63%). The mean duration of expansion was 16 weeks (range 0.4-118). The most common site was the skull (61/257). Prophylactic antibiotics were used in 224 of 257 (86%) at the time of expander insertion and 147 of 257 (56%) at the removal of the expander. Sixty-two patients (24%) had minor complications and 34 (13%) had major complications. Tissue expansion can be used with a currently acceptable failure rate though we continue to strive to lower this further.
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital MAS, Malmö, Sweden. Farokh.Farzaneh@plastsurg.mas.lu.se
Farokh Collander
FC
Farzaneh
Saed
S
Kaldari
Magnus
M
Becker
Sven-Olof
SO
Wikström
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013548:Sweden; D013997:Time Factors; D015626:Tissue Expansion / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015625:Tissue Expansion Devices