Local Flaps

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Local Flaps - Skin's Smart Moves

  • Definition: Local flaps: skin & subcutaneous tissue units, moved from an adjacent donor site to a defect, maintaining their intrinsic blood supply.
  • Blood Supply:
    • Random Pattern: Relies on dermal-subdermal plexus; viability depends on geometry.
    • Axial Pattern: Incorporates a direct cutaneous artery & vein, more robust.
  • Movement Types:

⭐ Random pattern flaps have a length-to-width ratio that should generally not exceed 2:1 to ensure viability, though this can vary with location.

  • Principle: Tension-free closure, preserve function, respect aesthetic units.

Advancement & Rotation - Sliding & Spinning

  • Advancement Flaps (Sliding):
    • Unidirectional movement into defect.
    • Relies on inherent tissue elasticity.
    • Types: Simple, V-Y (lengthening), Y-V (shortening), rectangular.
    • Burow's triangles excised at flap base to prevent dog-ears.
  • Rotation Flaps (Spinning/Pivoting):
    • Semicircular flap pivots around a fixed point.
    • Covers adjacent triangular or fan-shaped defects.
    • Tension is maximal at the pivot point; distributed along arc.
    • Back-cut at pivot base can ↑ mobility but may compromise blood supply. Rotation flap design and resulting scar

⭐ A Burow's triangle is often excised to prevent a dog-ear deformity when closing a rotation flap.

Transposition & Interpolation - Jumping & Bridging

  • Transposition Flaps ("Jumping"):
    • Moves laterally, pivoting around a point into an immediately adjacent defect.
    • Donor site: direct closure or skin graft.
    • Examples: Z-plasty (scar revision), rhomboid flaps (Limberg, Dufourmentel).
  • Interpolation Flaps ("Bridging"):
    • Crosses over/under an intact tissue bridge to reach a nearby (non-adjacent) defect.
    • Pedicle attached; typically requires 2nd stage for division & inset.
    • Examples: Paramedian forehead flap (nasal), Abbé flap (lip).

⭐ The angles of a classic Z-plasty are typically 60 degrees, which theoretically lengthens the scar by 75%.

Flap Lifelines & Pitfalls - Blood & Blunders

  • Blood Supply is Paramount:
    • Pedicle: Lifeline; avoid tension, kinking, torsion.
    • Doppler: Pre/post-op flow check. Angiosomes aid design.

    ⭐ The 'delay phenomenon' involves strategically interrupting a flap's blood supply to encourage neovascularization and improve its survival when fully raised later.

  • Common Pitfalls & Solutions:
    • Ischemia/Necrosis: Signs: pale/blue, cool, ↓cap refill, no prick bleed.
    • Causes: Tension (key!), hematoma, infection, smoking.
    • ⚠️ Hematoma: Prompt evacuation crucial.
    • Venous Congestion: Dusky, engorged, rapid refill. Consider leeches.
    • Infection: Asepsis, antibiotics if needed. Ischaemic vs Congested Flap Clinical Signs

Surgical Strategy - Design & Detail

  • Goal: Optimal defect closure, minimal distortion.
  • Assessment: Defect (size, depth, location), tissue quality (laxity, vascularity).
  • Key Principles:
    • Replace "like-with-like".
    • Respect aesthetic units.
    • Incisions along/parallel to RSTLs.
    • Ensure robust blood supply (pedicle).
    • Tension-free closure.
    • Minimize donor site morbidity.

⭐ When planning a local flap, always aim to place suture lines along or parallel to Relaxed Skin Tension Lines (RSTLs) for better cosmetic outcomes.

Local flap design showing RSTL alignment

High‑Yield Points - ⚡ Biggest Takeaways

  • Local flaps involve transferring adjacent tissue with its native blood supply.
  • Key types include advancement, rotation, and transposition flaps.
  • Axial flaps have a direct artery; random flaps use the subdermal plexus.
  • Z-plasty effectively lengthens contracted scars and reorients tension.
  • The Limberg (rhomboid) flap is a workhorse for rhomboid defects.
  • Flap delay improves survival by enhancing vascularity prior to full transfer.
  • Distal tip necrosis is the most common and feared complication of local flaps.
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Practice Questions: Local Flaps

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Wound contraction can be most effectively minimized by:

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Flashcards: Local Flaps

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Rotation, transposition and advancement flaps are types of _____ transfer flaps

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Rotation, transposition and advancement flaps are types of _____ transfer flaps

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