Perforator Based Free Lateral Thigh Flap for Coverage of Complex Extremity Defects: A Retrospective Case Series at a Tertiary Care Hospital in an LMIC

Pervaiz Mehmood Hashmi, Abeer Musaddiq and Alizah Hashmi

Departments of Surgery Orthopedic, Hand & Reconstructive Microvascular Surgery, Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan

^*Correspondance to: Pervaiz Mehmood Hashmi 

 PDF  Full Text DOI: 10.25107/2474-1647.2998

Abstract

Background: The lateral thigh flap is a versatile flap that provides many advantages over other free flaps. It has become a mainstay in soft tissue reconstruction of defects in the head and neck, upper and lower extremities. We present our experience with perforator based free lateral thigh flap in a tertiary care center. Method: A retrospective cross sectional analysis of cases done by a single surgeon over a period of 5 years from 1998 to 2003. Those patients were included in the study in which free lateral thigh was done for extremity defects only; flaps done for head and neck reconstruction were excluded. The data of these patients were collected from the medical records and variables included demographic data, mechanism of injury, site and size of defect, pattern of vascularity, complications and flap survival. Data analysis was done by using SPSS version 25.0. Results: We treated 8 patients with lateral thigh flap. All patients were male with a mean age of 28 ? 13 years (ranged from 16 to 55 years). The mean defect size was 25 cm ? 15 cm (ranged from 20 cm ? 12 cm to 30 cm ? 15 cm). Flap tip necrosis was seen in 2 patients while 6 cases (75%) had no complications with 100% flap success rate. The mean follow-up time was 226 months, without significant morbidity at the donor site. The donor site was covered with a spilt thickness skin graft. Conclusion: Our study has concluded that perforator based free lateral thigh flap is safe and reliable for reconstruction of complex and large soft tissue defects in the extremities, that provides excellent, robust skin coverage. It has the added advantage of minimal donor site morbidity. This flap is ideally suited for defects where the recipient vessel is located in the center of defect.

Keywords

Perforator based free Lateral Thigh Flap; Reconstruction of defects; Profunda femoral artery perforator; Large soft tissue defects; flow through flap

Cite the article

Hashmi PM, Musaddiq A, Hashmi A. Perforator Based Free Lateral Thigh Flap for Coverage of Complex Extremity Defects: A Retrospective Case Series at a Tertiary Care Hospital in an LMIC. Clin Surg. 2020; 5: 2998.