Interesting Cases
Scalp Reconstruction
The patient is a 15 year old female who had a painful congenital nodule excised from her scalp. Asleep on the operating table, the hair is separated along the proposed flap design to minimize hair loss and improve cosmetic outcome.
A full thickness scalp flap is raised based upon the left postauricular and cervical arterial blood supply. The deep layer of the scalp, the galea aponeurosis, is carefully scored to allow movement of the flap medially to close the defect.
The galea aponeurosis is closed using dissolving sutures. The scalp skin is closed using staples for two week and then removed. A thick coat of aquaphor is placed on the suture line twice a day for three weeks.
Here we see the patient at 6 weeks postoperatively. A maturing scar with minimal alopecia (hair absence) is noted.