New economical and simple device for intraoperative expansion on small and medium sized soft tissue defects

• Published in: Archives of craniofacial surgery Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 235 - 239
• Main Authors: Lee, Jun Won, Park, Seong Hoon, Lee, Seong Joo, Kim, Seong Hwan, Jeong, Hii Sun, Suh, In Suck
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association 01.09.2018; 대한두개안면성형외과학회
• Subjects: Idea and Innovation; 성형외과학; Surgical procedures, operative; Tissue expansion; Equipment and supplies
• ISSN: 2287-1152; 2287-5603
• DOI: 10.7181/acfs.2018.01998

Intraoperative expansion has been used to cover small to large defects without disadvantages of the conventional tissue expanders. Various materials, for example, expanders and Foley catheters are being used. We introduce a new, convenient and economical device immediately available in the operating room, according to the defect size for intraoperative expansion, with latex gloves or balloons. The retrospective study was done with 20 patients who presented with skin and soft tissue defects. During the operation, expansion was done with latex gloves or balloons inflated with saline through an intravenous line and a three-way stopcock. After the inflation, the glove was removed and skin was covered with expanded tissue. A careful decision was made regarding the inflation volume and placement of the expander according to the defect size. There were no postoperative complications. The skin contracture and tension was minimal with a texture similar to the adjacent tissue. The new intraoperative expansion devices with latex gloves and balloons were cheap and made easily right in the operation room. The reconstruction of small to large sized skin defects can be done successfully, functionally and aesthetically without using expensive commercial materials.