LOCAL ADVANCEMENT FLAP FOR COVERAGE OF VASCULAR ANASTOMOSES

Outflow anastomoses of infrainguinal distal bypass grafts are often lo cated beneath compromised skin wounds, which may dehisce leading to ex posure of the distal graft anastomosis. Debridement of necrotic skin a nd flap coverage of the graft are standard remedial procedures for thi s complication, Very distal sites in the lower extremity offer few loc al muscle flap coverage options and may require free tissue transfer. We describe a simple local advancement flap technique that we have fou nd to be successful without the need to perform free tissue transfer i n the majority of cases. (C) 1998 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.