The wound bed was prepared by debriding non-viable tissue and taking precise measurements of the defect. Split-thickness skin grafting was initially deemed suitable for the wound bed, and accordingly, the procedure was performed using skin harvested from the right thigh. However, due to the patient’s non-compliance with postoperative bed rest, which was crucial for successful healing, the skin grafting failed on two separate occasions.

The initial intraoperative plan was to raise a triangular-shaped bipedicled DIEP flap, intending to rotate it 90° clockwise to reconstruct the entire defect, encompassing both the testicles and scrotum

Reconstruction began with a thorough debridement of the wound edges. During this process, previously epithelialized skin areas resulting from the conducted split-thickness skin grafts were thourughly removed, even from the testicles.

Following a meticulous analysis of the flap dimensions and the extent of the defect, we revised our initial reconstruction plan. Considering the dimensions of the defect, we chose to perform proximal defect reconstruction using a sliding bipedicled DIEP (Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator) flap for the proximal portion of the defect. Additionally, we decided to reconstruct the distal portions of the defect using rotational flap surgery from the inner thighs.

At the beginning, the borders of the rotational flap were delineated and marked on both sides of the thigh using a sterile marker. Following the preparation and elevation of the rotational flap, rotation was executed along with additional release in the form of bilateral Burow’s triangles. Through this method, the rotational flap successfully achieved tension-free coverage of the distal skin and soft tissue defect up to the base of the penis. The flaps were attached to the remaining scrotum with 3-0 absorbable sutures.

The borders of the DIEP flap were delineated and demarcated according to the needed size, using a sterile marker. For the reconstruction of the remaining defect, a DIEP flap reconstruction was performed, incorporating the robust medial perforators previously identified in the CT-Angiography. Initially, the right-sided DIEP flap was elevated from lateral to medial in an epifascial manner. Subsequently, the left-sided flap was then elevated

The procedure involved precise dissection of the large-caliber epigastric perforators of the medial row and tracking them through the muscle. The perforators were dissected until tensionless sliding of the flap was possible. In this process, the muscle remained almost entirely intact. Subsequently, the flap was perfused adequately only through the perforators after sufficient dissection.

Following the adequate preparation of the perforators, the flap was shifted distally.

Now, the tension-free caudal shift of the flap was performed. Furthermore, the umbilicus was repositioned more caudally. Limited mobilization of the abdominal wall was conducted to ensure a tension-free closure.

Securing the DIEP flap and donor-site closure:Donor-site closure was achieved through a modified abdominoplasty. Securing of the flap was performed with self-resorbing subcutaneous and intracutaneous sutures. The abdominal fascia was closed with non-resorbale Prolene 2-0 sutures without constriction of the perforators on both sides.