Abstract
This study evaluates the long-term results of rectus abdominis free-tissue transfer
performed for lower extremity reconstruction.
Methods
Over a period of 8 years 58 were available for long term follow-up. Indications for
reconstruction included acute wounds with soft tissue defects, diabetic foot ulcers,
and chronic osteomyelitis.
Results
At a mean follow-up of 18 years, there were no major complications in the soft tissue
defect coverage group except for one patient who continued to have recurrent folliculitis
over the weight bearing heel area, which was treated by repeated debridement. Among
the diabetic patients, two patients had recurrent ulcerations of the forefoot which
were detected early and treated conservatively. In the osteomyelitis group, however,
there were no recurrences of the foot infection.
Conclusions
The rectus abdominis free-tissue transfer provided an excellent method of soft tissue
reconstruction with a very minimal long-term complication rate, and a very high rate
of success in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers and chronic osteomyelitis
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 19, 2019
Footnotes
This paper is part of a Supplement supported by the European Federation of Societies of Microsurgery (EFSM) and the Serbian Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (SSRM).
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
