Skin Flaps

The advancement flap is one of the most utilized cutaneous closures in reconstructive surgery. Modifications of the flap include Burrow's advancement flap, crescentic flap, Rintala flap, Peng flap, helical rim advancement flap, H-plasty (bilateral advancement flap), and T-plasty (A-to-T, O-to-T). The rotation flap is one of the three major types of random pattern flaps that are useful for repair of wounds in areas with limited elasticity. Variations of flap design include rotation flap with a back cut, bilateral rotation flap, O-Z rotation flap and the pinwheel flap. Transposition flaps are random pattern flaps that make use of adjacent skin laxity to close a defect. The most frequently utilized transposition flaps are the rhombic and bilobed flaps. The island pedicle flap is useful for repairing defects in the perioral region. It is important to recognize that the pedicle flap should be at least three times greater than the diameter of the defect being repaired.