Background: Integra dermal regeneration template - a two-stage, tissue-engineered, artificial skin - was introduced in the UK in May 1996. There were no restrictions on clinical application and a series of applications in reconstructive surgery were undertaken. One case involved a Caucasian lady with a nose tip basal cell carcinoma (BCC) who had a single-stage reconstruction. The 6-year follow-up was remarkable as it showed a scarless repair.
Objective: We undertook a clinical evaluation to explore the outcome of one-stage Integra reconstruction in a selected series of Chinese patients.
Methods: Ten patients (five male and five female; age range: 54-86 years) with complicated or atypical cutaneous lesions involving the head and neck were treated in an outpatient setting.
Results: Pathology revealed eight BCCs, one squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and one seborrhoeic keratosis. Healing took place either by wound contraction alone or in conjunction with re-epithelialisation. All wounds were fully healed within 6 weeks. Follow-up ranged from 18 to 30 months, and there has been no recurrence of the malignant lesions.
Conclusion: In selected cases, one-stage reconstruction using Integra can reduce operating time with no delay for frozen section, flap raising or graft harvesting. More immediate postoperative care is needed, but the long-term aesthetic results are uniformly acceptable.
(c) 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd.