Arch Aesthetic Plast Surg.  2016 Jun;22(2):96-99. 10.14730/aaps.2016.22.2.96.

A Novel Technique for Umbilical Reconstruction Using Four Transposition Flaps

• Kim YS
• Park EJ
• Yi HS
• Park JH

• KMID: 2327356
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14730/aaps.2016.22.2.96

Abstract

The umbilicus is of paramount aesthetic importance for the abdomen, and its absence can be psychologically distressing to patients for cosmetic reasons. An aesthetically-pleasing umbilicus tends to be small and vertically oriented in nature, with superior hooding and shadow, inferior retraction and slope, and a position at the topmost level of the iliac crest. A 42-year-old woman had undergone delayed breast reconstruction using a transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap. Unfortunately, the patient developed umbilical necrosis following surgery. She underwent complete surgical debridement, which resulted in a large vertical scar. Delayed umbilical reconstruction was performed with four transposition flaps. The patient underwent follow-up at 11 months postoperatively, and the umbilicus had a satisfactory appearance. This case shows that using four transposition flaps can yield sufficient depth and an aesthetically pleasing shape for the umbilicus.

Keyword

Abdominoplasty; Surgical flaps; Umbilicus

MeSH Terms

Abdomen
Abdominoplasty
Adult
Cicatrix
Debridement
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Mammaplasty
Necrosis
Rectus Abdominis
Surgical Flaps
Umbilicus