Abstract
Children with giant congenital melanocytic nevi (GCMN) pose a great challenge to pediatric and reconstructive surgeons because they have to cover the widely exposed area after its excision. A variety of treatment options exist for the management of such cases. In this retrospective review of a selected group of children who had a GCMN of their abdominal walls managed with implantation of tissue expanders (TEs) for staged reconstruction, patients were evaluated with respect to complications and general and esthetic criteria for patient and parent satisfaction. The purpose was to study the feasibility of use of TEs in the management of children who had GCMN, with special emphasis on the complications and children's and parents' satisfaction. Retrospective data from the 12 patients' charts, operative data of 86 surgical procedures, and follow up visits were analyzed using the Student's t test, and P < .05 was considered statistically significant. In a period of 4 years, from 2004 to 2008, the results of using 37 different sizes of TEs and 86 operative procedures in 12 children (9 boys and 3 girls) aged from 2 to 12 years with different types of abdominal wall GCMN are discussed. The TE is a useful and feasible tool for reconstruction of the abdominal wall in cases of GCMN in children. Parents and children are satisfied in general and also with the body image.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.