ABPS Plastic Surgery key terms

A block of tissue moved with its own blood supply to reconstruct a defect. It may remain attached by a pedicle or be detached and reattached by microvascular anastomosis.

A flap that stays attached to the donor site by a vascular leash, which supplies its blood. It is rotated or advanced into the defect without dividing the vessels.

A flap completely detached from the body and transferred to a distant site, where its artery and vein are reconnected to recipient vessels under a microscope.

A flap raised on small vessels that pierce the deep fascia and supply the overlying skin and fat. It spares the underlying muscle and its function.

A three-dimensional block of skin, soft tissue, and bone supplied by one named source artery. It helps surgeons plan flaps and predict which tissues survive together.

The fixed point at the base of a pedicled flap around which the flap rotates. Its distance from the defect limits how far the flap can reach.

The circular path a pedicled flap can sweep around its pivot point. It defines the territory the flap can cover without tension or vascular compromise.

A staged procedure in which a flap's blood supply is partially interrupted before transfer. This conditioning improves survival of the flap's distal portions.

A skin flap whose blood supply comes from unnamed dermal and subdermal vessels rather than a specific artery. Its length-to-width ratio is limited by perfusion.

A flap designed along a known direct cutaneous artery running in its long axis. It can be longer and more reliable than a random pattern flap.

The surgical joining of very small arteries or veins, usually under magnification, to restore blood flow. Patency depends on precise technique and vessel alignment.

Clot formation inside a vessel or flap pedicle that blocks blood flow. In free flaps it is a leading cause of failure and often requires urgent re-exploration.

Serial clinical and adjunctive assessment of a flap's color, temperature, capillary refill, and Doppler signals. Early detection of compromise allows salvage before tissue dies.

A sheet of epidermis and dermis, or epidermis alone, transplanted without its own blood supply. It survives by plasmatic imbibition and then revascularizes from the recipient bed.

A graft containing epidermis and part of the dermis, harvested at a set thickness. It survives more readily but contracts more and leaves a donor site that re-epithelializes.

A graft containing the entire epidermis and dermis. It contracts less and gives better color and texture match, but requires a well-vascularized bed and a closed donor site.

The process by which a skin graft becomes adherent and revascularized by the recipient bed. It depends on a clean, well-perfused bed and immobility.

Cutting slits in a skin graft to expand its surface area and allow drainage of fluid. It improves contouring on irregular beds but creates a patterned appearance.

A collection of blood beneath a flap, graft, or wound closure. It can lift tissue off its bed, impair perfusion, and cause infection or graft loss.

A collection of serous fluid in a dead space under a flap or wound. It can cause swelling, delay healing, and predispose to infection if not drained.

A tube placed in a surgical dead space and connected to suction to remove accumulating blood and serum. It reduces seroma and hematoma formation after flap surgery.

Gradual stretching of skin by an implanted silicone balloon filled over weeks. The expanded skin is then used to reconstruct a nearby defect with matched color and texture.

A scar revision using two triangular flaps transposed to lengthen a contracture and reorient the scar. It redistributes tension and helps break up a linear scar.

Surgical or adjunctive treatment to improve the appearance, position, or function of a scar. Techniques include excision, Z-plasty, and resurfacing.

A raised, thickened scar that stays within the boundaries of the original wound. It often improves over time and responds to pressure, silicone, or steroid injection.

An overgrowth of scar tissue that extends beyond the original wound margins and tends to recur. It is more common in darker skin and after ear piercing or burns.

Shortening and tightening of scar tissue or muscle that restricts movement or distorts nearby structures. It commonly follows burns across joints.

Any operation that reshapes or alters the size of the breast, including reduction, augmentation, and mastopexy. The term covers both aesthetic and reconstructive goals.

Surgery to lift and reshape a ptotic breast without substantially changing its volume. It repositions the nipple-areolar complex and tightens the skin envelope.

Drooping of the breast caused by stretching of skin and suspensory ligaments. It is graded by the position of the nipple relative to the inframammary fold.

Surgery that removes breast tissue and skin to relieve symptoms such as back and neck pain. It also repositions the nipple and reshapes the breast.

Surgery that enlarges the breast using an implant or fat transfer. Implant placement may be above or below the pectoral muscle.

Tightening and hardening of the fibrous capsule that forms around a breast implant. It can cause pain, distortion, and firmness and may need capsulectomy.

Removal of the fibrous capsule surrounding a breast implant. It is performed for contracture, infection, rupture, or when exchanging or removing implants.

The crease where the lower breast meets the chest wall. It is a key landmark for implant placement, breast measurements, and ptosis grading.

The nipple and surrounding pigmented areola, which carry sensory and erectile function. Its position and blood supply are central to breast surgery planning.

Surgery that removes excess abdominal skin and fat and tightens the abdominal wall muscles. It is often combined with repair of a ventral hernia or diastasis recti.

Removal of a hanging apron of lower abdominal skin and fat, usually for functional symptoms. Unlike abdominoplasty it does not tighten the underlying muscles.

Separation of the two rectus abdominis muscles along the midline. It can weaken the abdominal wall and is often repaired during abdominoplasty.

A congenital gap in the upper lip caused by failure of the facial processes to fuse. Repair is typically staged in infancy and may involve presurgical molding.

A congenital opening in the roof of the mouth due to incomplete fusion of the palatal shelves. Repair restores separation of the oral and nasal cavities and supports speech.

Failure of the soft palate and pharyngeal walls to close the nasal airway during speech. It causes hypernasal speech and may follow cleft palate repair.

A flap of tissue from the posterior pharyngeal wall attached to the soft palate to improve closure. It is used to treat velopharyngeal insufficiency.

A molded appliance worn before cleft lip repair to shape the alveolar segments and nasal cartilage. It improves symmetry and simplifies the operation.

Premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures, which restricts skull growth and alters head shape. It may raise intracranial pressure and require surgical release.

Surgery that reshapes and expands the skull in craniosynostosis. It relieves pressure and restores a more normal head shape, often in infancy.

A procedure that moves the forehead and orbital rims forward to expand the anterior cranial vault. It is used in craniosynostosis affecting the coronal sutures.

Damage to the nerves supplying the arm, often from birth trauma or trauma. It causes weakness or paralysis and may need nerve grafting or tendon transfer.

A segment of nerve used to bridge a gap between divided nerve ends. It guides regenerating axons and restores continuity when direct repair is impossible.

Surgical rejoining of divided nerve ends, either directly or with a graft. Tension-free alignment and timely repair improve sensory and motor recovery.

Moving the attachment of a working tendon to a different bone or tendon to restore lost function. It is used when a muscle or nerve is permanently damaged.