• Alexandru Valentin Georgescu, Ileana Rodica Matei, Marko Bumbasirevic, and Panayotis N Soucacos.
• Department of Plastic Surgery and Reconstructive Microsurgery, University of Medicine Iuliu Hatieganu Cluj Napoca, Romania; Clinic of Plastic Surgery and Reconstructive Microsurgery, Clinical Hospital of Recovery, Cluj Napoca, Romania.
• Injury. 2019 Dec 1; 50 Suppl 5: S3-S7.

PurposeThe aim of this paper was to evaluate the outcomes of propeller perforator flaps used all over the body, and to appreciate their advantages and/or disadvantages over the free perforator flaps.MethodPatients that required propeller perforator flaps used all over the body were eligible to participate in this study. A preoperative Doppler examination was performed for all the flaps in the trunk and thigh, but not regularly in the face, lower leg, foot, forearm and hand. We evaluated the most important technical aspects of harvesting the flaps, the main indications and advantages of using propeller perforator flaps, their disadvantages and complications. For post-excisional face and trunk defects after cancer or decubitus ulcers were performed approximately 25% of flaps.ResultsWe had very good results in approximately 70% of cases. In the remaining cases, excepting 3 cases in which the flaps were completely lost, we registered only minor complications due to venous congestion, which were solved spontaneously or by skin grafting.ConclusionThe main advantages of propeller perforator flaps, i.e. no need of microvascular anastomoses, replacing like-with-like, faster functional rehabilitation, can reduce in well selected cases the indication for free flaps. The rate of complications is not higher than by using other methods. The single real disadvantage of propeller perforator flaps is the location of the perforator close to the defect, what can be an impediment in trauma cases.Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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