RECONSTRUCTION DE LA LÈVRE SUPÉRIEURE PAR LAMBEAU CHINOIS LIBRE

Abstract

Introduction : The defects of the face pose a problem of reconstruction, it must obey the imperatives of both functional and aesthetic, these requirements are even more pronounced with younger patients. The antibrachial radial flap or «Chinese» flap is an interesting technique for the reconstruction of such loss of substance. Observation : We describe the case of a young man of 26 years, victim of a work accident. The lesions involved the scalp, completely avulsed, forehead, right eye, right cheek, the left wing of the nose and upper lip. After replantation of the scalp and right eye enucleation, we used the chinese flap to cover the defect of the upper lip. The flap was taken from the left forearm and connected to the superior thyroid artery. The postoperative course is simple. The aesthetic and functional results are very satisfactory. Discussion : The antibrachial radial flap is called «chinese flap» because it was first described in China. It is a strip of low flow and vascular axial meso. Design of the skin paddle is longitudinal or oblique in the forearm, on the radial artery. The one-piece dissection of the radial artery and its septocutaneous branches is in the proximal-distal direction. The proximal dissection dates back to the origin of the radial artery. The donor area is covered by a thin skin graft immediately or secondarily. The chinese free flap is characterized by a thin and flexible skin perfectly suited to the reconstruction of the face and its excellent vascularization. The disadvantages are unsightly scars on the donor area and the sacrifice of the radial artery. Conclusion : The chinese flap that we used for the reconstruction of the upper lip has given a very good results on both functional and aesthetic points.