title: Flap prefabrication and stem cell-assisted tissue expansion: how we acquire a monoblock flap for full face resurfacing.
abstract: Total face skin and soft-tissue defects remain one of the biggest challenges in reconstructive surgery. Reconstruction of the entire face with uniform coverage and delicate features is difficult to achieve. To avoid the patchwork result seen in multiple flaps and skin grafts, 1 monoblock flap that has similar color, texture, and thickness might be an ideal option to minimize the incisional scars and several surgical procedures but is unavailable with current approaches because of the lack of sufficient matched tissue and the unreliable blood supply for such a large flap. To acquire a monoblock flap for full face reconstruction, we combine the prefabricated flaps, skin overexpansion, and bone marrow mononuclear stem cell transplantation for total facial resurfacing. In this article, we present our experience from our case series that provides universally matched skin and near-normal facial contour. It is a reliable and an excellent reconstructive option for massive facial skin defect.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qingfeng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zan
authors.forename: Haizhou
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shuangbai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D002056:Burns / Q000601:surgery; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000601:surgery; D005145:Face / Q000098:blood supply / Q000601:surgery*; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D061525:Perforator Flap / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000601:surgery*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D012086:Reoperation; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D015626:Tissue Expansion / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult