The surgical treatment of decubitus lesions

Abstract

Several methods have been exercised during the past years, thus offering the surgeon the possibility to choose when planning reconstructive surgery. Among these methods, we recall: the dislocation of a large surface of skin and fasciocutaneous flaps, the transposition of the muscle and its covering with a simple cutaneous flap or a cutaneo-adipose flap, musculocutaneous pediculate flaps, neurovascular flaps. The study was conducted on 292 patients with 3rd and 4th degree decubitus lesions admitted into and operated at the Plastic Surgery and Reconstructive Microsurgery ward during 10 years. Pediculated flaps on septofasciocutaneous perforating arteries or on musculocutaneous perforating arteries are more difficult to harvest (they require a precise knowledge about the localization of the perforating artery) but provide a better post-op result.