Tissue loss may occur in the face and other parts of the body after congenital traumas, tumors, or previous surgeries. The location of tissue loss, the content, and the function of the lost tissue shape the treatment plan. Although most of them are skin losses, muscle, nerve, or bone tissue losses can also be encountered.
The aim of treatment includes repairing the lost tissue with the closest architecture. There are many plastic surgery methods available for this. Skin patches (skin grafts) can be applied only for skin loss in suitable wounds. In cases where skin grafts are not suitable for the application, many flaps have been defined and have been used for a very long time. Flaps involve the transportation of tissue by vessels without disturbing the blood flow. Only skin, skin fascia, muscle, muscle skin flaps, etc. A wide variety of methods are available. It can be transferred from surrounding tissues or distant areas. In addition, functional muscle transfers or nerve transfers can be performed to provide function. In cases where there is a loss of bone tissue, bone transfers can be applied with the skin or alone.
This is one of the most fundamental and broad subjects of plastic surgery.