A flap is a unit of tissue that is transferred from one site (donor site) to another (recipient site) while maintaining its own blood supply.

Flaps come in many different shapes and forms. They range from simple advancements of skin to composites of many different types of tissue. These composites need not consist only of soft tissue. They may include skin, muscle, bone, fat, or fascia.

How does a flap differ from a graft? A flap is transferred with its blood supply intact, and a graft is a transfer of tissue without its own blood supply. Therefore, survival of the graft depends entirely on the blood supply from the recipient site.

Flap surgery is also a procedure that takes place in the hospital and involves several days of hospitalization for recovery and monitoring.  Skin flap surgery is similar to skin grafting except for the amount of tissue transferred.  Flap surgery involves a transplanting of skin and its accompanying fat, blood vessels, and occasionally muscle.  Blood vessels either remain attached to the donor area, or are surgically extracted and grafted onto the recipient area.

Flap surgery is necessary in cases where the recipient site is missing the required blood vessels or structure vital in making a successful skin graft.  Flap surgery “links” the donor blood supply through a variety of surgical techniques.

The surgery is particularly helpful on scars that are more serious or deeply embedded in the skin.  Discuss all the options available with a board certified plastic surgeon before making a decision on whether or not flap surgery or skin grafting is right for you.