title: [Repair of-limb soft tissue defect with free deep inferior epigastric perforator flap].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the clinical application results of free deep inferior epigastric perforator flap in the repair of soft tissue defect.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2006 to January 2012,13 patients with soft tissue defect (7 cases in leg and 6 cases in forearm) underwent reconstruction with a free deep inferior epigastric perforator flap. There were 9 males and 4 females, aged from 21 to 45 years old with an average of 33 years. Soft tissue defect in the extremities were from 7 cm x 17 cm to 8 cm x 26 cm. The medial branch and lateral brangh flaps were 7 cases and 6 cases respectively. The donor site was closed directly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One patient developed small wound dehiscence, which spontaneous healed at one month after surgery. All the flaps had survived completely. Follow-up period ranged from 1.8 to 4.0 years with the mean of 2.8 years postoperatively. Satisfactory clinical results were obtained in 12 cases. A good contour was confirmed at the recipient area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The free deep inferior epigastric perforator flap for the extremities defects of soft tissue is a good option. This technique is safe and reliable, and can decrease the injury of donor site.
authors.affiliation: General Hospital of Lanzhou Military Area, Gansu, China. 668zgl@163.com
authors.forename: Gong-Lin
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhen
authors.forename: Ke-Ming
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lai-Xu
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jun-Lin
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jan-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Qin-Yi
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Xue
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005121:Extremities / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061525:Perforator Flap; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000601:surgery*