Die Rekonstruktion von Skalpdefekten unterschiedlicher Genese unter Zuhilfenahme lokaler und regionaler Lappenplastiken - Eine retrospektive Fallstudie der Jahre 2010-2021
The reconstruction of scalp defects of various origins using local and regional flap plasty - A retrospective case study from 2010-2021
by Julian Daugardt
Date of Examination:2024-08-30
Date of issue:2024-08-28
Advisor:Dr. Adam Stepniewski
Referee:Dr. Adam Stepniewski
Referee:Prof. Dr. Bawarjan Schatlo
Files in this item
Name:dissertation_Julian_Daugardt_eDiss.pdf
Size:5.81Mb
Format:PDF
This file will be freely accessible after 2024-09-27.
Abstract
English
Background and research question Defects of the scalp are not only a cosmetic problem; intracranial structures protected by the scalp and the skull bone itself are also at risk. Causes include trauma, tumor excisions, wound healing disorders in the course of tumor therapies or after previous operations, radiation necrosis, disfiguring scars, thermal or electrical burns and alopecia. When planning the reconstruction, patient-specific factors must be recorded and included in the therapy. These include comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, nicotine consumption, age, previous chemotherapy or radiotherapy with resulting skin changes, but also previous operations with scarring, all of which increase the likelihood of post-operative wound healing disorders and may necessitate a revision (Desai et al. 2015). Medical advances in the field of reconstructive surgery require precise knowledge of the anatomy of the scalp. This includes the vascular supply, the course of nerves, the arrangement of the individual skin layers in the scalp area and their morphological characteristics (Tolhurst et al. 1991). The wide range of therapeutic methods can be illustrated in the model of the reconstructive ladder. This originally consisted of four stages: primary wound closure, skin grafting, local flap plasty and distant flap plasty. The ladder has been repeatedly modified in the course of medical development. The basic concept is that optimal wound closure should be performed using the simplest available method of the ladder and, if necessary, progressing along it (Janis et al. 2011). However, as reconstructive surgery not only restores tissue continuity but also form and function, Gottlieb and Krieger introduced the concept of the reconstructive elevator in 1994. They postulate abandoning sequential thinking in favor of a creative parallel approach. The possibility of skipping one stage allows surgeons to choose freely from all surgical methods of modern medicine in order to ensure treatment that is individually tailored to the patient. In contrast to the staged model, all aspects of reconstructive surgery are considered in order to restore optimal form and function (Gottlieb, Krieger 1994). Methods and approach For this retrospective, anonymized study, a search was conducted in the archives of the University Medical Center Göttingen. The electronic databases, conventional patient files and the image archive were analyzed. Only patients who were treated for scalp defects using local or regional flap surgery between 2010 and 2021 were included. These are defects of various origins, those that occurred primarily or secondarily in the course of tumor therapies, but also defects that occurred due to traumatic events. In addition to the cause of the defect, the data were evaluated with regard to patient age and gender, comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, duration of hospitalization, complications, necessary revisions and defect size. A weakness of our study was the incomplete determination of defect size. This was due to the fact that defect sizes were often not documented and had to be reconstructed using the image archive. This was not possible retrospectively in all cases. Aim of this study Scalp defects continue to pose a major challenge for reconstructive surgery. The special anatomical conditions and the numerous treatment options make the surgeon's work particularly challenging (Leedy et al. 2005; Gundeslioglu et al. 2012; Mueller et al. 2012; Desai et al. 2015). Against this background, our aim was to demonstrate that local flap plasty offers a safe and low-risk option for surgical treatment of different defect sizes. To this end, we examined and analyzed the 39 cases of our patient cohort who underwent defect reconstruction in the scalp area at the Department of Trauma Surgery, Orthopaedics and Plastic Surgery at the University Medical Center Göttingen. In all cases, complete and sufficient defect coverage was achieved using local flap plasty. The surgical indications or underlying disease entities, the different local flap techniques, the defect sizes and localizations as well as the respective operation duration were analyzed for differences in the mean hospitalization time and a possible connection to postoperative complications. In addition, we analyzed the cases in which complications occurred and all comorbidities of the patients as well as radiotherapy performed in the defect area in the medical history were also taken into account. Results and observations In our study, we were able to show that there was no significantly higher complication rate within the groups of disease entity, defect size and type of local flap plasty. There was also no significant difference in the length of hospitalization between these groups. In our patient population, adequate defect coverage was achieved in every case using local flap plasty. The rate of minor and major complications was consistent with other study results. Interestingly, a longer operation time did not increase the occurrence of complications in our study. Other publications did show that the longer the duration of surgery, the higher the probability of postoperative events. With regard to hospitalization duration, we found that patients with complications, patients who had undergone radiotherapy prior to surgery or who suffered from one or more comorbidities stayed in hospital significantly longer. Conclusion The aim of any reconstruction in the area of the scalp should always be a functional and esthetically pleasing restoration. In order to be able to realize this demanding project, precise knowledge of the anatomical conditions and consideration of individual patient aspects are essential for the surgeon. After analyzing the data collected in this study and the current literature, we have come to the conclusion that the use of local flap plasty is the safest surgical method with the most cosmetically appealing results if good preoperative planning is carried out. The risk of complications and revision surgery as well as the subsequent hospitalization time required can be classified as lower compared to more extensive treatment options. In our experience, local flap plasty can be widely used due to the extensive vascularization of the scalp and the treatment of larger defects of up to 80 cm² can also be guaranteed.
Keywords: scalp defects; local flap surgery; reconstructiv surgery; wound treatment