Clinical assessment of the results of one-stage circular incision techniques for limb ring constriction due to amniotic band syndrome

BACKGROUND: Amniotic band syndrome (ABS) is a congenital malformation that results in abnormalities in many parts of the body. Most surgical treatments for ABS used multi-stage Z-plasties. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical results of one-stage circular incision techniques for limb ring constriction due to amniotic band syndrome. METHODS: We reviewed 27 patients with limb ring constriction in ABS from 2010 to 2020. The mean ages of the patients were 11.7 months (range, 0–72 months). The complete circular incision release the ABS. All patients’ operations were used one-stage circular incision surgical techniques, including patients with multiple bands. All the patients were followed up with a period ranges from 2 years to 10 years. Patient-reported visual analog scale (VAS) scar ranking on a scale of 0 (minimum satisfaction) to 10 (maximum satisfaction) were used to evaluate esthetic outcomes. RESULTS: After our surgery, all the limbs, toes, and fingers were rescued, and the lymphedema reduced remarkably. The VAS scores (mean ± SD) for patient satisfaction were 7.55 ± 1.89. The surgical treatment of amniotic band syndrome in a one-stage circular incision is safe and effective. CONCLUSION: The one-stage circular incision surgical techniques have many advantages, including reduced surgical invasiveness, scar formation, and the cost of treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV—retrospective case series.