Tissue expansion methods have been recommended as a means of improving the clinical results with perforator flaps but in plastic surgery literature there are few clinical trials supporting this opinion. The purposes of this clinical study are to address the ''preexpanded perforator flap concept'' by demonstrating a case series of relevant reconstructive procedures and to evaluate the perforator vessel changes that happen during the expansion periods of various perforator flap donor sites.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
14
Transferred tissue dimensions
Demonstrating the amount of transferred healthy tissue exhibits the success of the technique.
Time frame: At least five months after the operation
Diameter of the perforator artery in a particular tissue level
This measurement will reveal one of the morphologic changes happen during tissue expansion period (perforator flap preexpansion). This measurement will be done for the last six patients. The diameter of the perforator artery of the preexpanded flap will be compared with both the diameter of the same artery before the expansion process and the diameter of the equivalent perforator artery of the symmetric side (non expanded side)of the body.
Time frame: Measured the day before the expander implantation surgery and the day before the flap transfer surgery (second session following tissue expansion)
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