Flap (surgery)

Flap surgery
Engraving by John Eric Erichsen depicting flap surgery used to cover an amputation stump
ICD-9-CM86.7

Flap surgery is a technique in plastic and reconstructive surgery where tissue with an intact blood supply is lifted from a donor site and moved to a recipient site. Flaps are distinct from grafts, which do not have an intact blood supply and relies on the growth of new blood vessels. Flaps are done to fill a defect such as a wound resulting from injury or surgery when the remaining tissue is unable to support a graft, or to rebuild more complex anatomic structures like breasts or jaws.[1][2]

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