Plastic surgery after solid organ transplantations.

[BACKGROUND] More patients receive organ transplantation surgeries due to the advancement in immunosuppressive agents and surgical techniques. Some of those patients may need to undergo plastic or reconstructive surgery. Long-term use of immunosuppressive agents raises some serious problems. Therefore, this study aimed to introduce our experience about the safety and effectiveness of plastic surgeries after solid organ allograft transplantation.

[METHODS] A retrospective review of 17 transplant recipients who underwent different reconstructive or cosmetic operations was carried out. The subjects included 1 heart transplant, 1 liver transplant and 15 kidney transplant recipients.

[RESULTS] All patients tolerated the plastic surgery procedures well. Flaps and skin grafts were the main constructive methods. There were no postoperative infections and wound dehiscence. Transferred flaps survived completely. Skin grafts took well. Three of the cosmetic surgery patients were satisfied with the results.

[CONCLUSIONS] Immunosuppressed organ transplant recipients can successfully undergo major reconstructive and cosmetic surgery when given special attention.