Clinical Application and Outcome of Sub-Dermal Plexus Skin Flaps, Axial Pattern Flaps and a Skin Graft to Repair Extensive Cutaneous Defects In Dogs and Cats: 22 Cases

Skin flaps and grafts are widely used in veterinary practice to achieve closure of skin defects where primary wound closure is not possible. They can be used when addressing large cutaneous defects secondary to traumatic injury or following tumour resection. The objective of the study was to retrospectively evaluate the clinical indications, complications and outcomes associated with skin flaps and a graft in animals that underwent extensive cutaneous defect restoration. Data was collected from the medical records of 22 animals (12 dogs and 10 cats), which included 16 Subdermal Plexus Skin Flaps (SPSF), 5 Axial Pattern Flaps (APF) and one free skin graft. The outcome of skin reconstruction was subjectively evaluated based on the comparison of the surviving skin postoperatively to the original skin transposition. There were minor or moderate complications observed in SPSFs. In the five animals with APFs, one animal had moderate complications, while in one case, the flap completely failed due to occlusion of the blood supply. The full-thickness skin graft of the dog’s distal forelimb healed with complete graft uptake. All wound complications were managed conservatively. A higher proportion of extensive wounds observed in cats (75%) were in intact males due to trauma. In most of the dogs (83.3%), wounds were found following tumour resection. Twenty one out of the 22 animals recovered well postoperatively. Results suggested that large cutaneous defects can be repaired with excellent cosmetic and functional outcomes using skin flaps and grafts. Although postoperative complications are expected, standard wound management techniques can resolve them. Careful planning, meticulous surgical procedures and postoperative management are key for a successful outcome.