Entire Scalp Replantation: Case Report and Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT

A case of successful replantation of a totally avulsed scalp in a 40-year-old woman is presented. During a 19-hr surgical procedure, bilateral superficial temporal arteries and veins were anastomosed. The postoperative course was uneventful, except for partial necrosis of the distal end of the avulsed flap, i.e., the occipital region. Since the first successful scalp replantation using microsurgical technique was reported in 1976, the authors have found at least 32 subsequently reported cases. Of these, there were 22 cases of entire scalp avulsion (more than 80 percent of the scalp), including 15 females and seven males. A summary of these cases is included. From analysis of the reported cases of entire scalp avulsion, the keys to success in scalp replantation are considered to be the adequate selection of vessels for repair and the use of vein grafts, if necessary.