Objective: To describe the surgical technique and evaluate the safety, feasibility, and preliminary outcomes of perineal closure with fasciocutaneous flaps as an alternative to scrotoplasty for large genital wounds.
Methods: Cases of perineal closure with fasciocutaneous flaps and thigh pouch creation for patients having undergone scrotectomy from January 2015 until August 2022 were reviewed for operative details and surgical outcomes.
Results: Twenty patients were identified undergoing this procedure. Patients had a median age of 64 (Inter-quartile range [IQR] 58-70), body mass index of 34 (IQR 29-40) and Charlson comorbidity index of 5 (IQR 4-8). Median total wound area was 443 cm2 (IQR 225-600). Operative technique in all cases included testicular thigh pouch and fasciocutaneous flap creation for perineal closure; these flaps were raised from the thigh in 18 patients and abdominal wall in 8. This technique resulted in 100% closure rate of the perineum with 3 patients required abdominal split thickness skin grafting (STSG) to complete closure. Complication occurred in 3 patients (15%) with 1 wound infection and 2 episodes of bleeding. Forty percent of patients were discharged home. Median follow-up was 9 months with only 1 patient reporting pain related to thigh pouches and none desiring elective scrotoplasty.
Conclusions: Despite large defects, perineal closure was completed in all patients with minimal use of STSG. Complication rates were comparable to other methods despite significant patient frailty and no patients desired staged scrotoplasty. This method of closure adds an option for the complex perineal reconstruction patient.
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