Treatment of total scalp avulsion by an advanced microsurgical method involving the subcutaneous tissue suspension by the tight suture of scalp tissue around anastomotic stoma.

Abstract

Total scalp avulsion is a rare but challenging surgical trauma to manage. This study reports 8 cases of total scalp avulsion between 2001 and 2008. In all these cases, the patients were subjected to vascular replantation of the scalp. Microvascular technique after the debridement was used for scalp replantation in all these patients. Study outcome was that between 2001 and 2004, only 1 case had shown major scalp revival and scalp survival whereas in 3 other cases, the scalp survival failed. This may be attributed to the poor microscopic anastomosis. However, between 2005 and 2008, scalp survival was reported in all the cases, which was chiefly due the advanced microsurgical method adopted. In this advanced microsurgical technique, the subcutaneous tissue was suspended by the tight suture of scalp tissue around the anastomotic stoma, which resulted in scalp survival in all the cases. Microsurgical scalp replantation is an effective treatment for scalp avulsion. The key to the successful scalp replantation is high-quality vascular anastomosis involving subcutaneous tissue suspension via the tight suture of scalp tissue around the anastomotic stoma careful debridement.