Hatchet flap versatile, effective, and safe technique for eyelid and midfacial reconstructions in select patients: Study

Hatchet flap versatile, effective, and safe technique for eyelid and midfacial reconstructions in select patients suggests a new study published in the Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

A study was done to describe surgical variations of the hatchet flap and a large series of patients in which this procedure was used for eyelid and midfacial reconstruction. A retrospective review was performed on patients treated with a hatchet flap between March 2016 and March 2023. Patient demographics, defect characteristics, surgical techniques, and outcomes were investigated. Results: The hatchet flap was used to repair 70 defects in 69 patients, aged 41.6 to 90.0 years (mean, 66.1). Defects measured 0.6 to 23.6 cm2 (mean, 4.8) and resulted from Mohs surgery (n = 62), exenteration (n = 2), benign lesion excision (n = 3), or cicatricial ectropion/fistula repair (n = 3). The flap tail was managed with 3 techniques: V-Y plasty (n = 26), transposition (n = 34), and excision (n = 10). Ancillary procedures were often used during reconstructions (skin grafts: 29; double hatchet flap: 2; additional skin flaps: 26; tarsoconjunctival flaps: 6; and other grafts: 7).