Rapid intraoperative tissue expansion in reconstruction of the head and neck.

A prolonged tissue expansion has the advantage of creating large amounts of additional skin for reconstructing cutaneous defects that might not be possible without the use of multiple, regional, distant, or microsurgical flaps. In spite of this, there are disadvantages, many of which can be circumvented by the use of rapid intraoperative tissue expansion instead. Although rapid expansion does not increase skin surface area as much as prolonged expansion, it may be helpful in assisting with closure of defects that might otherwise be problematic.