Fasciocutaneous Free Tissue Transfer in Limb Salvage: Prior Flap as a Split-thickness Skin Graft Donor Site

Free flap surgery for limb salvage has become the surgical standard for reconstruction of bone and soft tissue with success rates and flap survivals of 94%–95%. The soft tissue defect dictates the technique of coverage. In many cases, multiple techniques of soft tissue coverage are necessary, ranging from myocutaneous and fasciocutaneous free flaps to split-thickness skin grafts (STSGs). It has been shown that fasciocutaneous free flaps are not inferior to muscle flaps in treatment of lower leg limb salvage. Although a complete flap loss is rare, it is not uncommon to have partial flap necrosis, wound dehiscence, or secondary soft tissue defects, necessitating further minor reconstruction, which we call “touch up” skin grafts. In many of these secondary procedures, split thickness skin grafts are sufficient. We have been using the skin portion of the fasciocutaneous free flap as a donor site for harvesting STSGs for quite some time without disadvantages. We believe that minimizing additional donor site morbidity is of great importance. The free tissue transfer is insensate and readily available at the site of injury, making prepping and draping simple as well as cosmetically acceptable, as the transferred free tissue, unfortunately, is rarely a perfect fit. The associated pain, discomfort, and scar of an additional donor site can be avoided. In our case series, we did not experience any flap loss, infections, or complications. Thus, harvesting an STSG from a fasciocutaneous free flap seems to be a feasible option to be considered in limb salvage.