Tissue expansion of a tube flap during the last transferring stage in reconstructions of the face and neck.

The tube flap technique is an old and safe distant flap for soft tissue reconstruction, and tissue expansion is a well known way of repairing adjacent soft tissue defects. We have experience of expanding a tube flap during the last transferring stage for reconstruction of the face and neck after a burn. The tube flap from the right acromiopectoral region, of which the two pedicled stumps had been transferred to the face and neck separately, was successfully extended to double its length in 17 days without changing the diameter of the flap by placing a tissue expander under the tube flap. The tube flap tolerates tissue expansion well, even after the pedicles of the flap have been transplanted to new positions. In this way, a tube flap can be enlarged by tissue expansion when it is used in certain cases of reconstruction.