Tunneled and transposed island flaps in facial reconstructive surgery.

BACKGROUND: Surgical wounds on the central face present reconstructive challenges given the aesthetic prominence of these visually important areas and a general lack of local tissue availability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Illustrative case examples demonstrate the potential clinical utility of nontraditional island flaps that are tunneled or transposed into operative defects. RESULTS: Aesthetically successful reconstruction of difficult facial wounds was accomplished with island flaps that used less traditional operative designs. CONCLUSION: When designed and executed properly, island flaps offer unrivaled opportunities to reconstruct the face with maximal preservation of central facial symmetry.

Duke Scholars

Author Jonathan Lambert Cook Dermatology