title: Management of the radial forearm free flap donor site using a topically applied tissue expansion device.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to prospectively assess clinical outcomes in patients undergoing a new method of donor site management for radial forearm free flaps.
  
  
  METHODS
  177 patients underwent reconstruction of ablative defects of the head and neck using a radial forearm free-flap. All patients had topical tissue expansion tapes applied to their forearms preoperatively. Closure rates, healing time and complications associated with the technique were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-five percent of patients had their donor sites closed primarily with a locally harvested full thickness skin graft. Complications related to the tissue expansion device included a loss of device adhesion (19.3%) requiring reapplication and minor pruritic reactions (4.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This system of donor site management has resulted in a significant reduction in the requirement of a split thickness skin graft for coverage of the donor site in a radial forearm free flap without any significant economic cost or patient morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. DrJames.Bonaparte@gmail.com
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bonaparte
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Corsten
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Odell
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Murray
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Darren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000601:surgery*; D006257:Head / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D015626:Tissue Expansion / Q000379:methods*; D015625:Tissue Expansion Devices; D058106:Wound Closure Techniques; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology