Reverse sural flap – A feasible option for oncological defects of the lower extremity, ankle, and foot: Our experience from Northeast India

Abstract

Background:Soft-tissue management around the lower third of the leg and foot presents a challenge to the surgeon. To achieve local control of tumor, additional surgical margins are required, thus creating large soft-tissue defects. The reverse sural artery flap (RSAF) is a popular option for many of these defects.Materials and Methods:This is a retrospective study of 26 patients who underwent resection of tumor around the lower leg, ankle, and foot, and reconstruction with RSAF was performed at our institute from 2012 to 2018.Results:Among the 26 studied patients, aged between 22 and 71 (mean age: 50.8) years, 5 were female and rest were male. The most common site of involvement by tumor was heel (42.3%), followed by sole (26.9%). The most common histopathological diagnosis was melanoma (61.5%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (26.9%) and soft-tissue sarcoma (11.5%).Conclusion:The distally based sural flap is a reliable flap for the coverage of soft-tissue defects following oncological defects of the distal lower extremity and foot.