Here the surgeons have performed a mock facial transplantation by harvesting total facial-scalp flaps from a donor and transferring them to recipient cadaver. This is a way for the surgeons to practice facial transplantation, using a donor cadaver. One of the aims of this mock transplantation study was to establish the most appropriate sequences of facial flap harvest and inset to mimic the clinical transplantation procedure.
Fig.1 Harvested total facial-scalp flap in the donor cadaver.
Fig.2 The inverted surface area.
In preparation for facial allograft transplantation in humans, a series of cadaver dissections were performed to estimate the feasibility and timing of facial flap harvest, integrity of vascular territories, and applicability of conventional flaps to cover total facial defects. These cadaveric dissections confirmed that none of the conventional cutaneous autogenous flaps is large enough to cover a total facial defect. Perfect match of facial skin texture and color could only be achieved by transplantation of the facial skin allograft from the human donor.
Fig.3 The total facial-scalp skin graft in the recipient cadaver.
Fig.4 The inverted surface area.
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