Anterolateral Thigh Adipofascial Flap Research Articles

A Surgical Management Algorithm for Type 4 Parry-Romberg Syndrome.

Type 4 Parry-Romberg syndrome (PRS) affects multiple facial esthetic units involving many tissue types, requiring both bone and soft tissue restoration and requiring different surgical procedures over a long period of time. To date, the timing and sequence of these operations remains controversial. A retrospective analysis was performed to introduce our surgical management algorithm for type 4 PRS and to evaluate its safety and efficacy according to long-term follow-up results. Six Chinese patients (5 females and 1 male) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The follow-up period ranged from 23 to 90 months (mean 51.83mo). All patients were satisfied with the improvement in facial appearance after staged bone and soft tissue reconstruction. No major complications were reported except for 1 case of infection after Medpor implantation. For severe PRS, both bone and soft tissue reconstruction is recommended. Enlargement of the bony framework provides a good foundation for subsequent soft tissue restoration. Alloplastic implants in the maxilla can be problematic if the patient has undergone either a zygomatic or maxillary osteotomy. The anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap is a reliable choice for large soft tissue deficits in type 4 PRS. We hope that reporting our surgical management algorithm with long-term follow-up results will improve the personalized treatment of these patients.

Successful Treatment and Long-term Follow-up of Parry-Romberg Syndrome with Anterolateral Thigh Adipofascial Flap.

Anterolateral thigh (ALT) adipofascial free flap transfer is a frequently used method to reconstruct the facial symmetry and restore facial soft-tissue contour in PRS patients. While its long-term prognosis and patient outcomes assessment are still lack of understanding. The authors report their treatment experience in 42 patients between 2001 and 2017 using microsurgical free anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap transfer. The long-term follow-up results and final reconstructive outcomes were evaluated. A total of 42 patients were included. The follow-up ranged from 5 to 21 years. All patients were satisfied with the surgery. Photographic evaluation revealed significant enhancement of postoperative appearance. Numbness or hypesthesia of the local area was the most common symptom in the long-term follow up. This study has evaluated the long-term treatment results of Parry-Romberg disease with microsurgery using ALT free flap in our department. Over 20 years' experience and the significant enhancement of the overall appearance indicate a long-lasting, excellent outcome.

Pyogenic Ventriculitis After Anterior Skull Base Surgery Treated With Endoscopic Ventricular Irrigation And Reconstruction Using a Vascularized Flap.

Ventriculitis is a rare, serious complication of neurosurgery. A 59-year-old man who had undergone a craniotomy for a paranasal adenocarcinoma, developed a right frontal cystic lesion. We performed a bifrontal craniotomy to remove the lesion. The dura was repaired with non-vascularized free fascia lata in watertight fashion. Ventriculitis occurred 3 days postoperatively. Ventricular drainage, craniectomy, and endoscopic irrigation were undertaken to remove an abscess. The dura and the resection cavity were reconstructed using a vascularized anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap. His symptoms disappeared, indicating that endoscopic irrigation and reconstruction can effectively address ventriculitis even in patients in critical clinical condition.

Reconstruction of Temporal Depressive Deformity Using the Anterolateral Thigh Adipo-Fascial Flap

Reconstruction of Temporal Depressive Deformity Using the Anterolateral Thigh Adipo-Fascial Flap

Anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap in mucosal reconstruction.

This study describes a reliable technique for mucosal reconstruction of large defects using components of a common free flap technique. To review the harvest technique and the varied scenarios in which the anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap (ALTAF) can be used for mucosal restoration in oral cavity and nasal reconstruction. A retrospective review of the medical records of 51 consecutive patients was conducted. The patients had undergone ALTAF head and neck reconstruction between January 2009 and June 2013. Each case was reviewed, and flap survival and goal-oriented results were evaluated. Thirty patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. The mean patient age was 60.6 years. Reconstruction sites included the tongue, palate, gingiva, floor of the mouth, and nasal mucosa. All mucosal reconstructions maintained function and form of replaced and preserved tissues. One patient (3%) experienced flap failure that was reconstructed with a contralateral adipofascial flap with excellent outcome. Three patients (10%) required minor flap revisions. There were no other complications. The ALTAF is a versatile flap easily harvested for use in several types of mucosal reconstructions.

Venous Occlusion Detected by Caregiver with Implantable Doppler in a Buried Free Flap.

The use of the implantable Doppler device eases the burden of free flap monitoring, and allows caregivers to notify healthcare personnel of a potential vascular event. A 24-year-old female patient underwent anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap surgery to provide a buried flap on the left temporal area for a depressed and infected skull wound. The author was able to salvage the flap from two venous occlusions, which was made possible by early notifications from the caregiver who reported changes in the Doppler signal.

Skeleton and soft tissue contour reconstruction for severe progressive hemifacial atrophy

To sum up the various procedures for skeleton and soft tissue contour reconstruction in severe progressive hemifacial atrophy. From Jan 2004 to May 2012, 25 patients with severe progressive hemifacial atrophy underwent the procedures of lipoinjection, microsurgical flap transplantation, dermis grafting, distraction osteogenesis, orthognathic surgery and so on for both skeleton and soft tissue reconstruction. Among them, zygomatic augmentation and lipoinjection were performed in 24 cases, anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap in 10 cases and latissimus dorsi flap in one case, orthognathic surgery in 17 cases, including Le Fort I osetoectomy in 3 cases, genioplasty in 4 cases, mandibular distraction osteogenesis combined with secondary Le Fort I osteotomy in 3 cases, genioplasty combined with mandibular augmentation with Medpor implant in 7 cases. The patients were followed up for 6 months to 5 years. Through skelton and soft tissue reconstruction, the oblique occlusion plane and malocclusion were corrected with great improvement in face asymmetry. For severe progreassive hemifacial atrophy, comprehensive procedures should be adopted for both skelton and soft tissue reconstruction to achieve good results.

Microsurgical Correction of Progressive Facial Hemiatrophy Using Free Anterolateral Thigh Adipofascial Flap

The etiology of progressive facial hemiatrophy is unclear according to resent research. The diseases lack effective treatments. The purpose of this study was to introduce a technique that restores the cosmetic amelioration effectively using free anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap through anastomosis. From September 1999 to June 2011, a total of 14 patients were subjected to correction with revascularized free anterolateral thigh adipofascial flaps at the first stage. Some of them performed additional procedures, such as dermal fat flap filling, lipoinjection, liposuction, and thinning of the flap, were used for secondary minor deformities after the first-stage operation. The donor sites were closed primarily without skin grafting or other flap transplantation. All of the flaps survived, and the effect is stable during the follow-ups. Patients were quite satisfied with the symmetry and plumpness of the reconstructed faces. The donor sites were sutured directly and healed at the first stage; there were no obvious morbidities and dysfunctions. The anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap can provide adequate tissue with reliable blood supply, pliability, ease of revision, and minimal morbidity and dysfunction at the donor site. It is a safe, stable, and effective technique for hemifacial atrophy.

Application of free anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap in the correction of facial depression

To investigate the operative technique and therapeutic effect of free anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap in the correction of facial depression. From Oct. 1996 to Jan. 2007, 32 patients with facial depression deformities were treated with free anterolateral thigh adipofascial flaps. The bone defects in 8 cases were corrected with Medpor implants at the same stage. 33 free anterolateral thigh adipofascial flaps were used in 32 patients. 2 flaps were used bilaterally in one patient. The size of the flaps ranged from 12 cm x 8 cm to 20 cm x 11 cm (average, 16.5 cm x 10.5 cm). 30 flaps survived completely. Flap edge resorption happened in 3 flaps within half a year postoperatively. Satisfactory results were achieved in 23 patients after one-stage treatment. Another 9 patients underwent secondary operation 6 months postoperatively. Among them, 6 patients underwent flap liposuction because of fatty appearance, 3 patients underwent fat transplantation because of flap edge resorption. The patients were followed up for 6 months to 2.5 years. All the deformities were improved greatly, and the faces were almost symmetrical. The wounds at the donor sites were primarily healed with no functional morbidity. Free anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap is a large size flap. The flap thickness can be adjusted for three-dimensional reconstruction. The vascular anatomy is relatively stable. The bone defects can also be corrected at the same stage.

Anterolateral Thigh Adipofascial Flap for Correction of Facial Contour Deformities and Micromastia

The anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap has gained popularity, yet the donor site remains problematic. With increased knowledge of the vascular anatomy, we anticipated that we would be able to contour the ALT adipofascial flap when reconstructing facial deformities and micromastia without sacrificing skin at the donor site. A total of 24 cases of hemifacial atrophy and 1 case of micromastia underwent anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap transplantation with vascular anastomosis. All surgical reconstructions resulted in satisfactory results with minimal donor-site morbidity. The anterolateral thigh adipofascial perforator flap is an ideal choice for autologous tissue reconstruction with primary defatting.

Anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap for the restoration of facial contour deformities

From January 2000 to May 2008, 50 patients with facial contour deformities underwent soft tissue augmentation with 51 anterolateral thigh (ALT) adipofascial flaps. Fifty flaps survived with no complications; partial fat necrosis occurred in one flap. Mean follow-up was 16 months. Flaps ranged from 10 x 6 cm to 20 x 12 cm. Perforators were found in 50 flaps, 43 musculocutaneous perforators (84.3%) and 7 septocutaneous perforators (13.7%), with a mean of 2.5 perforators per flap. In one flap (2.0%), no perforator was found. In this case, we used an anteromedial thigh adipofascial flap using the medial branch of the descending branch of lateral circumflex femoral artery as the vascular pedicle. Relatively symmetric facial contour was achieved in 20 cases. In 30 cases, adjunctive procedures including flap debulking, fat injection, and resuspension were necessary, and 23 patients achieved satisfactory outcomes. We conclude that the ALT adipofascial flap can be successfully elevated and transplanted for the correction of soft tissue facial defects. This flap can provide tissue to fill large defects, and posses the qualities of pliability, an excellent blood supply, ease of suspension and fixation, and minimal morbidity at the donor site.

Correction of hemifacial atrophy using free anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap

Treatment of hemifacial atrophy presents a challenge for reconstructive surgeons. Previous studies have described numerous methods for the correction of facial asymmetry. We present our experience with treatment of hemifacial atrophy using a microsurgical anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap procedure and other adjunctive measures. This method is similar to that used for the free anterolateral thigh flap, but only the deep fascia of the anterolateral thigh and subcutaneous fatty tissue above the fascia were harvested. This flap procedure was used in 32 patients with moderate or severe hemifacial atrophy. In the first stage, the anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap procedure was used in all the patients, of whom eight accepted a porous polyethylene implant along with the anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap to reconstruct the skeleton. In the second stage, ancillary procedures including porous polyethylene implantation, liposuction debulking, fat injection and flap re-suspension were performed to refine the outcome in 28 patients. The anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap is advantageous in that it can provide a reliable vascular pedicle with relatively thin, pliable soft tissue and direct primary closure of the donor site.

Reversed anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap for knee and proximal calf defects

Background Reconstruction of defects involving the knee and proximal one third of the lower leg presents a challenging problem in plastic surgery. Aim To evaluate the reversed anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap for covering such defects. Methods Between September 2006 and May 2007, one man and four women with defects around the knee and upper calf underwent reconstruction with reversed anterolateral thigh adipofascial flaps. The patients’ average age was 45 years (25–72 years). The size of the transferred flap ranged from 6 cm × 8 cm to 12 cm × 13 cm. Results Four flaps with overlying skin grafts healed uneventfully; one skin graft showed minor necrosis due to haematoma, but the adipofascial flap survived well. Postoperatively the appearance of the reconstructive flap was acceptable. Conclusions The reversed anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap is an effective option for covering defects of the knee and proximal calf.

Free Anterolateral Thigh Adipofascial Flap for Hemifacial Atrophy

Though the etiology of hemifacial atrophy is still unknown, the aim of its reconstruction is cosmetic amelioration of the defect. Among many techniques introduced, microsurgical reconstruction has become the gold standard to restore the symmetry of the face. Seven free anterolateral thigh adipofascial flaps were used to reconstruct hemifacial atrophy between September 1999 and May 2005. There were 1 male and 6 females in the series. All the patients had unilateral disease (6 right and 1 left). The average age of onset of disease was 11.9 years. The average duration of atrophy was 6.7 years. The patients' average age was 25 years (range, 21 to 32 years), and the average follow-up period was 12.6 months (range, 6 to 36). The size of the transferred flap ranged from 8 x 6 cm to 12 x 13 cm. All adipofascial flaps survived completely. No complications occurred. The result is stable, and no recurrence of facial atrophy was seen in the patients after follow-up. One patient received minor revision because of the bulky reconstructed face. The esthetic appearance of the reconstructed face was acceptable. Despite a variable vascular anatomy that can give rise to some surgical challenge in raising the anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap, the authors conclude that this is a safe and reliable adipofascial flap for hemifacial atrophy.

Free Thin Anterolateral Thigh Adipofascial Flap for Reconstruction of Hand Dorsum Defect

There are many flap choices for reconstruction of dorsal hand defect with extensor tendon exposure. Free flap, such as superficial temporal fascia flap or dorsalis pedis flap, is an optional choice because it provides thin, pliable coverage and good gliding surface for extensor tendons. The anterolateral thigh flap is an another alternative, however, thick and bulky of flap lead to unfavorable results. We modified the anterolateral thigh flap with only including adipofascial layer to reconstruct the soft tissue defect of hand dorsum. A 60 year-old of female patient suffered from metastatic Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the bladder. The extravasation of the chemotherapeutic agents led to skin necrosis over her right dorsal hand. We reconstructed the defect of her right dorsal hand by the free thin anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap. The result of the right dorsal hand was satisfactory after 3 months follow-up. The anterolateral thigh adipofascial flap provided vascularized, thin, and gliding coverage. The donor side can be closed primarily. However, it still bears the disadvantages of needing for skin graft and risk of skin graft failure due to fatty necrosis.