Free Flap is a surgical procedure used to dissect tissues from one area and attached to other areas where it needs to be replaced. Basically, free flap surgery helps us to reconstruct the tissues. In free flap surgery, the donor (healthy) side of the body gives tissues and blood vessels to the recipient (injured) side of the body. This process increases the functionality and aesthetic beauty of a patient’s body.
Types of Flaps
Three types of flaps are divided into local, regional, and free/distant flaps.
- Local Flaps– Local flaps are the reconstructive tissue taken from the adjacent area to cover a wound or injury. It doesn’t harm the blood vessels beneath the skin and maintains the blood flow. Local Flaps are preferred to treat the smaller areas or injuries.
- Regional Flaps– Like Local flaps, regional flaps are the adjacent reconstructive solutions for an injury, wound or defect. But regional flaps are used to cover the bigger area along with its blood supply, whereas local flaps cannot. Moreover, regional flaps provide better coverage of the wounds.
- Free Flaps– Free flaps reconstruction or distant flaps means that the donor area has to give tissues, skin, blood vessels, fat and bone to the injured area. It is the most complex surgery among all other types of flaps. The technique of free flap surgery involves the removal of blood vessels from the donor area that is reattached to the recipient side’s area.
Types of Free Flap Procedure-
- Muscle Flap: A piece of muscle is moved from its source location to the receiving site with its blood supply. Larger lesions are frequently repaired using muscle flaps, which offer functional support.
- Skin Flap: During a skin flap operation, a portion of the skin is transferred from the donor location to the recipient site, together with the supporting fat and blood vessels. Skin flaps are widely used to repair injuries, ulcers, and physical flaws in the body.
- Fasciocutaneous Flaps – Skin and fascia (a sheet of connective tissue) are present in fasciocutaneous (axial) flaps. When more soft tissue covering is necessary at the recipient location, fasciocutaneous flaps are frequently used.
- Composite Flap: Composite flaps are applied when detailed replicas that involve several kinds of tissues are required because they are composed of a variety of tissues, like skin, muscle, bone, or cartilage.
- Perforator Flap: Perforator flaps involve transplanting a tiny portion of tissue, including a particular blood vessel (perforator). This approach enables greater accuracy in tissue transplantation while minimising harm to the tissue surrounding it.
Microvascular Head & Neck Reconstruction
Following cancer resection or trauma, a specialised surgical procedure called microvascular head and neck reconstruction using free flap surgery is utilised to rebuild complicated abnormalities in the head and neck area. To reconstruct the damaged area, the treatment requires the transfer of tissue, including skin, muscle, and even bone, from a distant donor location.
Conclusion
Local, Regional or free flap surgery helps the donor area give the lowest uppermost tissues to the recipient area. Avail the benefits of the best free flap surgery in Punjab from Amandeep Hospital and eliminate discomfort with the help of an experienced plastic and reconstructive surgeon.