The repair of skin defects is a common problem for reconstructive surgeons.Soft tissue expansion is a widely used technique for the repair of skin defects. Early expansion-related complications such as skin thinning, telangiectasia, and striae may result in expansion failure and ultimately jeopardize final outcome. In the past years, discontinuation of the expansion procedure was the only therapeutic option, when early alarm signs such as semitransparent appearance and telangiectasia of the expanded skin were encountered. We aimed to overcome these complications by therapeutic fat grafting to prevent skin necrosis and enable continuation of the expansion procedure.
Patients undergoing soft tissue expansion treatment for resurfacing skin lesions including scars and nevi that required therapeutic intervention due to early complication signs were included in this study. Patients were randomly divided into treatment group using autologous fat grafting and control group with discontinued expansion and expectant management. The treatment group received autologous fat transfer to the expanded skin.
