The Reappraisal of the Slide-Swing Skin Flap: A Versatile Technique for Surgical Defects

BACKGROUND: The slide-swing skin flap is a combination of transposition and adjacent skin sliding and can be used to close large, round defects with a flap that is smaller than the primary defect to produce aesthetically good results. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the slide-swing skin flap for various surgical defects caused by skin tumor excisions. METHODS: This retrospective case series, which includes 33 Asian patients between the ages of 25 and 86 years, describes the slide-swing skin flap after primary excision for malignant or premalignant skin conditions. The outcomes were assessed 12 weeks after surgery using the patient and observer scar assessment scale (POSAS). RESULTS: Patients were 25 male and 8 female, and the causes of surgery were various malignant skin tumors including malignant melanoma, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and malignant nodular hidradenoma. Tumors were on the lower limb in eleven patients, back in nine patients, chest in five patients, face in three patients, buttock in three patients and two patients had tumors in other locations. The mean defect size was 3.5×3.1±1.9×2.2 cm (range, 1.4×0.9~9.0×12.0 cm). The mean patient POSAS total score was 9.7±3.0 and mean patient overall opinion score was 1.8±0.7. The mean observer POSAS total score was 11.0±2.7 and mean observer overall opinion score was 1.9±0.5. All flaps survived and postoperative recoveries were uneventful. CONCLUSION: The slide-swing skin flap is highly versatile and can be used to cover various surgical defects, irrespective of size and location, with excellent functional and cosmetic results.