Introduction:

The purpose of this work was to perform a review of the risk factors associated with poor outcomes in tissue expansion. We have reviewed the current literature and published risk factors for poor outcomes in tissue expansion. We have also reviewed the UT Southwestern Department of Plastic Surgery's tissue expansion experience and determined which of these factors has lead to significantly poorer outcomes in our experience.

METHODS:

We performed a retrospective chart review of all cases of tissue expansion in the Department of Plastic Surgery at UTSW from July 2001 to January 2005. Data on age, indication, location, port type, incision, drain use and complications were recorded.

Results:

We found 28 major complications and 21 minor complications in 134 cases. We found that younger patients, patients who have had three or more previous rounds of tissue expansion, and those in whom an intralesional incision were used all had statistically significant higher complication rates (p<0.05). The use of drains, external ports, location of expander placement, and indication for expansion did not affect the complication rate.

Conclusion:

Patient age, choice of incision, and limiting the number of rounds of tissue expansion are critical for successful outcomes in tissue expansion.