The follow-up results proved satisfactory in terms of patients' compliance and morphological results. The flap appeared to be thin, well vascularised and very flexible in its advancement. The post-operative follow-up is characterised by a rapid healing and a low incidence of short- and long-term complications.
The postoperative result after 16 months allowed us to observe a normal forehead profile with a normal thickness, good skin texture, and well-hidden scars.
The distally-based superficial sural flap has proved to be an easy and reliable method of reconstruction in soft tissue cover of the distal third part of the leg. There are two ways to prepare this flap: as a fasciocutaneous flap, which includes the fascia with the subcutaneous tissue including the skin; or as an adipofascial flap, which is made up of both the fascia and the subcutaneous adipose tissue. In the latter case, the flap is covered with a partial thickness skin graft either immediately after or at a later stage. The aim of this study was to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the two flaps. The adipofascial flap seems to be better, as it is associated with less donor site morbidity, improved quality of reconstruction, and fewer complications.
Many post‐vulvectomy vulvar reconstruction solutions, using local fasciocutaneous flaps where possible, have been proposed. We report the use of V‐Y advancement flaps from the gluteal fold in medium to large vulvar reconstructions and a simple modification we made to the technique in order to minimise wound‐related complications. Between 2006 and 2016, 30 vulvar reconstructions were performed via a total of 59 flaps, 24 of which were raised using the proposed modification to the plasty design. Short‐ and long‐term (24 months) follow‐up data were analysed, postoperative flap sensitivity was tested, and any arising complications were recorded. The mean age of patients treated was 75.3 years (51‐92 years). The mean monolateral defect dimensions were 7.5 × 4.7 × 2.8 cm. Minor complications were recorded in 23% of patients (14% of flaps). One case of ostial stenosis occurred. Micturition and ambulation recovery was rapid, and flap sensitivity was fully restored 24 months after reconstruction. Scars were well hidden by natural soft tissue folds. The outcomes in this case series confirm that the gluteal V‐Y advancement fasciocutaneous flap is a useful and simple technique for reconstructing even large vulvar defects. It has a low functional and aesthetic impact and enables rapid return to autonomy. Moreover, the simple modification to the V‐Y flap proposed, designed to reduce tension at the apical part of the wound, appears to reduce the complication rate.
The use of ionizing radiation in the breast region while a patient is at developmental age is still responsible for most monolateral hypoplasias and iatrogenic-based breast asymmetries. These alterations often involve several anatomical structures, thus causing severe hypoplasia of the breast and muscle tissues and stiffness of soft tissues, with atrophic and cicatricial skin. Reconstruction methods vary from case to case, but most of the time reconstruction with a homolateral latissimus dorsi with or without a breast implant seems most suitable. In some cases, however, this is not a viable alternative due to particular general and local conditions, making it necessary to consider other solutions. We present the case of a young prepubertal patient who came under our observation due to a radiotherapy outcome in the right breast and thoracic region; she had been previously subjected to breast reconstruction elsewhere, with the fitting of a subcutaneous prosthesis. Due to the patient's particular general and local conditions and the pathological involvement of the homolateral thoracic musculature, to improve the clinical picture, we deemed it appropriate to use the microsurgical reinnervated contralateral latissimus dorsi muscle, which so far has enabled us to obtain considerable and lasting results.
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