Inferiorly based rectus abdominis flaps in critically ill and injured patients.

Use of the rectus abdominis muscle as a free or pedicled flap is generally well tolerated by patients and accomplishes its intended purpose with minimal morbidity. In chronic or nonacute situations, high rates of success of tissue transfer and low donor site morbidity is expected. We have reviewed our results in 26 patients undergoing inferiorly based rectus abdominis muscle flaps with particular attention to the donor site. Patients with multiple injuries, who have had recent abdominal laparotomy, have a significantly higher morbidity rate