THE USE OF A THIN SUPERFICIAL CIRCUMFLEX ILIAC ARTERY PERFORATOR FLAP (SCIP) IN RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

Objective. The groin flap supplied from the superficial circumflex iliac artery was first described as a pedicle flap in 1972. Having evolved into a perforating flap, the classic groin flap has lost a number of disadvantages, and its modification with a harvesting over the superficial fascia made it possible to carry out more elegant reconstructions with a thin flap, without disturbing the contours of the body. Material and Methods. Seven reconstructions with SCIP flap were performed in the Burn and Plastic Surgery Center from 2017 to 2019. The recipient areas were the foot and lower third of the lower leg in 4 cases, the inguinal region in 1 case, the face in 1 case and the hand in 1 case. Results. The size of the flap ranged from 12 to 18 cm in length and from 3 to 9 cm in width. The superficial branch of the circumflex iliac artery was used in 3 cases, the deep branch in 4 cases. The length of the vascular pedicle averaged 5 cm. Conclusions. SCIP flap is an evolved groin flap, which, becoming much thinner, does not disturb body contours of the recipient zone. The flap elevation is distinguished by a simple dissection technique, and the donor site is closed primary and ideally hides under the clothes. The flap is ideal for small to moderate size defects in localizations with a thin subcutaneous fat layer, such as foot, lower leg, hand, forearm, face. The advantages of SCIP flap allow us to include it in the flap selection algorithm for reconstructive surgery.

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