Mj. Solomon et al., GRACILIS MYOCUTANEOUS FLAP TO RECONSTRUCT LARGE PERINEAL DEFECTS, International journal of colorectal disease, 11(1), 1996, pp. 49-51
Large perineal defects can occur after surgery for recurrent malignanc
y particularly after adjuvant radiotherapy or in complex chronic perin
eal inflammatory conditions. Quality of life can be severely impaired
by perineal wounds or chronic sinuses. Muscle and myocutaneous flaps c
an be used to close large defects, increase vascular supply to poorly
healing wounds, and provide bulk for sitting. We report 5 cases where
the gracilis flap was used to repair large perineal defects. The defec
ts were created after wide perineal excision for recurrent tumours ass
ociated with radiation damaged skin (2 cases) and after excision of ch
ronic sinuses complicating the perineal wounds after abdominoperineal
excision of the anus for inflammatory bowel disease (3 cases).