Arch Plast Surg.  2017 Nov;44(6):523-529. 10.5999/aps.2017.00885.

Serial Tissue Expansion at the Same Site in Pediatric Patients: Is the Subsequent Expansion Faster?

• Lee MK
• Park SO
• Choi TH

• KMID: 2403954
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5999/aps.2017.00885

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Serial tissue expansion is performed to remove giant congenital melanocytic nevi. However, there have been no studies comparing the expansion rate between the subsequent and preceding expansions. In this study, we analyzed the rate of expansion in accordance with the number of surgeries, expander location, expander size, and sex.
METHODS
A retrospective analysis was performed in pediatric patients who underwent tissue expansion for giant congenital melanocytic nevi. We tested four factors that may influence the expansion rate: The number of surgeries, expander location, expander size, and sex. The rate of expansion was calculated by dividing the "˜inflation amount' by the "˜expander size'.
RESULTS
The expansion rate, compared with the first-time group, was 1.25 times higher in the second-or-more group (P=0.04) and 1.84 times higher in the third-or-more group (P < 0.01). The expansion rate was higher at the trunk than at other sites (P < 0.01). There was a tendency of lower expansion rate for larger expanders (P=0.03). Sex did not affect the expansion rate.
CONCLUSIONS
There was a positive correlation between the number of surgeries and the expansion rate, a positive correlation between the expander location and the expansion rate, and a negative correlation between the expander size and the expansion rate.

Keyword

Nevus, pigmented; Tissue expansion; Tissue expansion devices; Skin neoplasms

MeSH Terms

Humans
Nevus, Pigmented
Retrospective Studies
Skin Neoplasms
Tissue Expansion Devices
Tissue Expansion*