Reverse-flow retroauricular island flap in facial reconstruction.
BACKGROUND
Reconstruction of facial skin defects requires good-quality skin cover to satisfy aesthetic expectations of patient, especially when the skin defect is on the uncovered area of the face. Limitations in the available local tissue and donor-site morbidity restrict the options.


OBJECTIVE
In an effort to solve these problems, we have begun to use a subcutaneous pedicled retroauricular reverse-flow flap.


METHODS
Between January 1997 and December 2005, reverse-flow subcutaneous pedicled retroauricular island flap was used to cover facial defects in 12 patients who underwent surgical excision of skin tumor. The patients ranged in age from 44 to 81 years with a mean age of 58 years.


RESULTS
Only one case experienced a superficial necrosis in the distal one-quarter part of the flap. The functional and aesthetic results were satisfactory for both patients and surgeons, and no tumor recurrence was observed during the 12 to 28 months (mean, 18.8 months) follow-up period.


CONCLUSIONS
This flap can be used reliably for the reconstruction of facial skin defects of small and medium size. The preference of frontal branch pedicled flap enables more distal facial area defects to be covered, such as dorsal nasal, nasolabial, and upper lip, than flaps based on parietal branch.
Benlier
Erol
E
Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Trakya University, Medical Faculty, Edirne, Turkey. drebenlier@hotmail.com
Top
Husamettin
H
Cinar
Can
C
Yazar
Sukru
S
Aygit
A Cemal
AC
Cetinkale
Oguz
O
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005145:Face / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery