Reconstruction of moderate-sized soft tissue defects in foot and ankle in children: Free deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap versus circumflex scapular artery perforator flap

• Published in: Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery reconstructive & aesthetic surgery, 2019-09, Vol.72 (9), p.1494-1502
• Main Authors: Sui, Xinlei, Cao, Zheming, Pang, Xiaoyang, He, Jiqiang, Wu, Panfeng, Zhou, Zhengbing, Yu, Fang, Tang, Ju-Yu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Ankle Injuries - diagnosis; Ankle Injuries - surgery; Child; Child, Preschool; Circumflex scapular artery perforator flap; Deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap; Epigastric Arteries - transplantation; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Foot and ankle; Foot Injuries - diagnosis; Foot Injuries - surgery; Graft Survival; Humans; Male; Pediatric; Perforator Flap - blood supply; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures - methods; Retrospective Studies; Scapula - blood supply; Soft tissue defects; Soft Tissue Injuries - diagnosis; Soft Tissue Injuries - surgery; Trauma Severity Indices; Treatment Outcome; Ultrasonography, Doppler
• ISSN: 1748-6815; 1878-0539
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bjps.2019.05.026

This retrospective study was conducted to compare the outcomes between the free deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap and the circumflex scapular artery perforator (CSAP) flap in reconstruction of moderate-sized soft tissue defects in the foot and ankle of pediatric patients. From January 2004 to December 2016, 42 patients, ranging from 2 to 13 years old, underwent foot and ankle reconstruction, with a free DIEP flap in 21 cases and a free CSAP flap in the other 21cases. All the flaps survived. No marked differences were observed in the demographics, flap size, recipient vessels, and overall early or late complication rate (p > 0.05). The CSAP group had a shorter operation time (134.3 ± 25 min vs. 202.4 ± 24.3 min, p