Pedicle and free flaps for painful nerve.

Abstract

Treatment of the chronic painful nerve by pedicled or free tissue transfer is a complex surgical procedure, requiring specialized microsurgical training and technique. This procedure is indicated only in patients who have had repeated failure of simpler, conventional procedures. Patients with chronic painful peripheral nerves may be potentially salvaged by external neurolysis and circumferential wrapping of the involved segments of nerve with well-vascularized pedicled or free flaps of fascia, subcutaneous fatty tissue, omentum or muscle, or by the replacement of superficial hypersensitive cutaneous areas and nerves with the same tissues.