RESUMEN
Free flap procedure provides an overall success rate of 97%, which decreases to 85% in hypercoagulable states. COVID-19, as a pro-thrombotic disorder, therefore seems detrimental to free flap survival. We encountered a case of unique pattern of free flap partial failure in a young male who underwent extremity reconstruction. The patient was diagnosed as COVID-19 positive on the 3rd day post-reconstruction. The flap survived well for the first 7 days post-operatively, but gradually the skin got necrosed and the subcutaneous fat layer was preserved when debriding. To our knowledge, this is the only case in which the skin of the free flap of a COVID-19 positive patient was necrosed almost entirely subsequently, while the subcutaneous fat was relatively preserved.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , Colgajos Tisulares Libres , Procedimientos de Cirugía Plástica , Enfermedades Vasculares , Humanos , Masculino , Muslo/cirugía , Colgajos Tisulares Libres/cirugía , Extremidad Inferior/cirugía , Complicaciones Posoperatorias/cirugíaRESUMEN
In this article, we describe reconstruction of a McCauley's Grade I postburn anterior neck contracture with extensive scarring in a 34-year-old woman using a free thin anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap. To our knowledge, this is the first case of reconstruction of Grade I neck contracture using a thin ALT flap that has been reported. By selecting the correct patient, adhering to recommended standards of microvascular technique, and implementing appropriate postoperative nursing care, we achieved a near-normal neck contour in this patient in a single-staged procedure.