RECONSTRUCTION OF LARGE SKIN DEFECTS WITH THE AID OF PNEUMOPERITONEUM- A PRELIMINARY-REPORT

Reconstruction of large skin defects of extremities necessitates wide and flat donor sites. The abdominal region, being a potential donor ar ea, is not suitable due to its concave and relaxed structure. Aiming t o create a concave and tense surface, pneumoperitoneum was performed i n two selected cases with extensive skin defects of the lower extremit ies due to burn trauma and successfully obtained split-thickness graft s from this region. Although further studies are needed to evaluate th e safety and efficacy of this technique, we think that pneumoperitoneu m greatly facilitates obtaining a sufficient amount of high quality gr afts, even with hand dermatomes.