Indications for facial flaps
Authors: Liv Schöllhammer, MD, Frederik Gulmark Hansen, med.stud. and Magnus Balslev Avnstorp, MD
Here you will learn about the Indications and contraindications for performing af facial flap.
Indications
- Not possible to reconstruct defect by direct closure
- Secondary healing will leave unintentional scar tissue with impact on physical appearance
- Skin graft is not possible or will have an impact on physical appearance with non-matching color, strictures or drag in nose, lip or eyelid.
- The donor site can be closed directly without larger physical impact.
- The reconstructive flap is reliable by the surgeon
- Replace excised defect with alike: The flap is same skin-color and skin-texture as the defect.
Contraindications
- Direct closure will have an expected good result.
- The skin carcinoma should be treated using radiotherapy instead of surgery (i.e. on the tip of the nose).
- A larger defect should be reconstructed with a distant flap (i.e,. infiltrating tumor into oral cavity).
- Poor patient health – Patients in ASA group 3 or 4, with severe insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and heavy smokers often have an increased risk of complications.