Tissue expansion as an adjunctive technique for the management of difficult wounds.

Replacement of lost or injured tissues with similar tissues is a major goal of the reconstructive surgeon. A relatively new modality, tissue expansion, appears to be an helpful adjunct in achieving this goal by providing tissues for reconstruction that are near at hand, possess similar characteristics to the lost tissue, and can even enhance vascularity within an ischemic area. Although the technique is a useful one, its indications and contraindications are incompletely defined. We have used this technique 65 times in 42 patients during a 2 1/2 year period. The overall complication rate has been 22 percent, similar to other reconstructive techniques, but the consequences of these complications have been relatively minor and have not, for the most part, added significantly to patient morbidity.