Lower extremity flap coverage. A review

DOI 10.5281/zenodo.6636992

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Velasco Cabrera JA et al. Lower extremity flap coverage. A review. Am J Med Surg. June 2022; 8(2). 3-5

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BACKGROUND:

One of the objectives of the different reconstruction alternatives in plastic surgery is to protect/cover defects and exposed wounds, which favors the restoration/healing process and, in the case of the lower extremities, accelerates the functional recovery of the patient.

If the treatment option is the use of a flap, it must meet vascular flow and permeability as a fundamental requirement, since diabetic patients, with peripheral arterial vascular disease, vasculitis, congestive venous disease and different alterations in the vascular system can condition the failure of the flap. The recent proposals on supermicrosurgery and the multidisciplinary participation between services such as plastic surgery, vascular surgery, traumatology, infectology, endocronology and rehabilitation can guide towards an ideal therapy with improvement in the quality of life of the patient.

 

Keywords: Wounds, microsurgery, plastic surgery, super microsurgery, reconstruction surgery, skin grafting, tissue expansion, local flap, regional flap.