title: Large gaps of midline abdominal incisions and their management.
abstract: The operative management of midline full-thickness abdominal wall gaps is difficult, often requires several surgical procedures and is associated with significant short- and long-term complications. A rectus abdominis-posterior sheath (RAPS) flap with skin grafting provides a tension-free one-step repair which was used in three patients successfully with midline abdominal wall (including the skin) gaps who had multiple previous operations related to intra-abdominal malignancy. No complications occurred in these patients in relation to this procedure.
authors.affiliation: State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Mahmoud N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Kulaylat
authors.forename: Constantine P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Karakousis
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D017568:Rectus Abdominis / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome