Free tissue transfer for burns reconstruction: A single-site experience

Abstract

This study reviews free tissue transfer (FTT) surgery for both acute wound and reconstructive scar management of burn injuries at a UK burns unit over a 10-year period. Thirty eight patients underwent 46 FTTs, or free flaps, as part of their burn injury pathway. For the cohort of patients, there was one flap failure, which occurred for a secondary scar reconstruction. It is noted that FTT was successful for all seven acute or primary interventions. Anterolateral thigh flap was the most frequently performed (57%); followed by parascapular flaps (22%) of which 43% were pre-expanded. A method of pre-expansion for neck contractures and a novel technique of anchoring this flap to the pre-tracheal fascia are described here. This can provide the patient with good neck contouring by using the capsule to hitch the flap into a good position. It is clear that further work is required to study the prevention of hypertrophic scarring that can occur at the interface between flap and adjacent skin, where occurrence rate in this cohort was 17%. It is proposed that FTT now provides a viable solution both to the coverage of complex burn wounds and to the revision of scar contractures. Consensus over an FTT protocol for the primary management of open burn wounds is seen as the logical next step for this surgical intervention.