Clinical Application Of Continuous Rapid Tissue Expansion

Objective: To study a simple surgical method for continuous rapid tissue expansion and its clinical application.Methods: The operation can be accomplished in two-stage procedures. First, expanders were placed in the subcutaneous pocket through interlesional perpendicular short incisions. Continuous expansion by trace syringe pump began from the second day after expander placement. The speed of water injection was set by according to patient's algesthesia reaction and vascularity of skin. The second operation was carried out at the third to fifth day after the expansion completed. Results to continuous expansion were assessed.Result: The method was put into clinical practice on 22 cases (16 cases of scar,2 cases of capillary angioma, 2 cases of black nevus, 2 cases of nasal defect), and35 expanders were placed. The mean time of water injection was 15.3 days. In the process of expansion, all cases were satisfactory except 1 case, in which the expander exposed in the incision. After the second operation, all flaps survived except 1 flap showing distal skin necrosis. The result was satisfactory after 3 months to 1 year follow-up visits.Conclusion: The clinical procedure which consists of expander placement through interlesional perpendicular short incisions and continuous expansion in advance, maximally shortened the time of expansion and hospitalization. This expansion method was a simple, safe, reliable, and ideal rapid tissue expansion. It is worth of wide application.