The Expanded “Flying-Wings” Scalp Flap for Aesthetic Hemiscalp Alopecia Reconstruction in Children

For a large lesion of the scalp (e.g., up to 50% scalp loss), restoration of the scalp with a hair-bearing scalp flap to achieve a pleasing aesthetic outcome and hair growth matched to the direction of the lesion, especially for a hemiscalp defect in children, often becomes very difficult and challenging for plastic surgeons.

Treatment was performed for 18 children with severe hemiscalp losses after burns. The technique was carried out by initially positioning a tissue expander in the subgaleal pocket of the scalp and serially inflating it with normal saline in 5- to 7-day intervals for about 3 months. Thereafter, a “flying-wings” expanded scalp flap was designed by combining advancement and rotation flap transplantation principles. This design was based on at least one nominated vascular system of the scalp used as the pedicle, with the wings often working to correct the distant part of the lesion in which the hair direction is greatly changed. After the lesion was excised, the expanded hair-bearing flap was advanced and rotated to the recipient site when the expander was removed.

For the 18 patients, the flap used for hemiscalp reconstruction could be transferred to repair the hemiscalp loss totally (for 17 patients) or mostly (for 1 patient) in a single-tissue expansion process without flap necrosis. The patient with a remaining lesion was treated completely with a secondary tissue expansion in the postauricular area. All the patients showed good aesthetic results, with the hair growth direction matching the recipient site well.

The described technique strongly indicates that tissue expansion is a simple, safe, and efficient technique for large scalp restoration. The “flying-wings” design of the expanded scalp flap can properly distribute the expanded hair-bearing scalp in the recipient site.