Artigo Revisado por pares

The Medial SuralMEDIAL GASTROCNEMIUS Perforator Free Flap

2004; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 52; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/01.sap.0000095438.33962.31

ISSN

1536-3708

Autores

Geoffrey G. Hallock, Kazufumi Sano,

Tópico(s)

Surgical Sutures and Adhesives

Resumo

In Brief The medial suralMEDIAL GASTROCNEMIUS perforator flap is a potentially large, thin cutaneous flap that encompasses the calf skin territory. Its medial sural vascular pedicle has a long leash of large caliber that simplifies microanastomoses when used as a free flap. Because the identification of the requisite perforators and their subsequent intramuscular dissection is facilitated with the patient in a prone position, this can be an “ideal” skin free flap for the posterior aspect of the body. This is especially true for the lower limb where all surgical morbidity could then be restricted to the ipsilateral extremity. This approach has been used in 5 clinical cases, with success except once when the flap was aborted as a result of anatomic anomalies, which is always a concern with muscle perforator flaps. Four of five medial sural MEDIAL GASTROCNEMIUS perforator free flaps were successfully transferred for ipsilateral distal leg coverage; the unsuccessful attempt was aborted for anomalous vascular anatomy. The flap has the advantage of harvesting with the patient prone, thus obviating the need for change in position.

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