Advancement Flaps

Abstract

Many factors come into play when using local flaps to reconstruct surgical defects on the face. Close attention must be given to the tissue surrounding the surgical defect and any free margin in the area. Designing the flap closure lines along cosmetic unit junctions and or relaxed skin tension lines, preserving both the form and function of the surrounding structures, and using excellent surgical techniques during the closure will all together help in providing reproducibly outstanding results.

Factors affecting choice of repair in Mohs micrographic surgery for non‐melanoma skin cancer of the head

“…Flap repairs were most commonly used (49%) and are known to provide excellent cosmetic outcomes . Grafts were least often used (13%), probably due to their variable and often inferior cosmetic outcomes, and were generally reserved for larger defects.…”

The use of preauricular skin flaps in the treatment of ear malignancy in elderly patients

“…27,28 The PAT flap is a random flap, so the maximal length-to-width ratio that allows sufficient blood flow to the flap tip should be 3 to 4:1. 29 Flap perfusion is largely based on the tension and quality of pedicle vasculature and its dimensions. This flap can be superiorly or inferiorly based, depending on the ear defect location 30,31 : the helix radix, trago, and earlobe are the most easily reconstructable subunits with this flap.…”

“…The PAT flap is a random flap, so the maximal length‐to‐width ratio that allows sufficient blood flow to the flap tip should be 3 to 4:1 29 . Flap perfusion is largely based on the tension and quality of pedicle vasculature and its dimensions.…”

Successful basal cell carcinoma defect reconstruction using combination of rotation and advancement flap: Two case reports

“…Excision of Burow’s triangle functioned to approximate the defect and, more importantly, to facilitate motion for the subsequent rotational flap. 5 Reconstruction in case 2 used M-plasty, another type of advancement flap. Originally developed by Richard Webster, MD, this approach aids in distributing tension and reducing the length of the excision, hence minimizing the scar.…”