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Minerva Oftalmologica 2012 March;54(1):21-8

Copyright © 2012 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Flaps and free grafts in oculoplastic surgery

Actis A. G. ¹, Fea A. M. ¹, Machetta F. ¹, Actis G. ², Grignolo F. M. ¹

¹ Sezione di Oftalmologia, Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Clinica, Università di Torino, Torino, Italia; ² Ospedale Oftalmico di Torino, A.S.L. 1 Torino Torino, Italia

Approximately 5% to 10% of all skin cancers occur in the eyelid and represent the first cause of plastic reconstruction of the eyelid, followed by traumatic avulsions, cicatricial retraction, congenital eyelid colobomas. In eyelid reconstruction the correct use of flaps and free grafts can lead to great functional and aesthetical results. Free grafts are frequently used (for the anterior and the posterior lamella) and vascularization is always satisfactory, even on the upper eyelid, if rules permitting neovascularization from the recipient bed are respected. In this review Authors describe some reconstruction techniques, in particular the use of retroauricular skin free grafts. They also describe the eyelids reconstruction of the anterior lamella with double pedicled flap and free skin grafts, combined with the reconstruction of the posterior lamella with tarso-conjunctival graft normally or, in selected patients, with a composite oral mucous membrane - retroauricular cartilage graft.