Individualized design of facial artery perforator flap for reconstruction of soft tissue defects in the midface

Objective To explore the clinical application of individualized design of facial artery perforator flap for the repair of midfacial defect caused by tumor resection. Methods From January 2015 to January 2018, a total of 36 cases of midfacial defect were repaired by individualized designed facial artery. Flaps were designed and harvested according to the location and size of the midfacial defect resulted from tumor resection, including propeller flaps, droplet flaps and swallowtail-shape flaps. Flap size was between 1.3 cm × 1.6 cm and 2.0 cm × 4.2 cm with the donor site being sutured in the first stage. Results During the 6 months to 3 years of postoperative follow-up, no tumor recurred. All the 36 cases of individualized designed facial artery perforator flaps survived well. Furthermore, flaps being designed according to the wound defect had a good appearance, the flaps matched the color and texture of the surrounding skin and had a favorable appearance. Besides, flaps had a certain degree of sensory recovery while there was no obvious scarring presented in the donor area. Conclusions Individualized design of facial artery perforator flap has great advantages of simple and flexible, easy manipulation, reliable flap blood flow and minimal donor injury, which render it valuable for clinical application. Key words: Reconstructive surgical procedures; Perforator flap; Facial artery; Facial tumor; Reconstruction