28. Soft tissue coverage of finger defects caused by cobra bite using tissue flaps
Main Article Content
Abstract
A descriptive study was conducted on 31 patients with soft tissue defects of the fingers following debridement due to cobra bites, managed at Bach Mai Hospital from February 2023 to November 2024. The aim was to evaluate the outcomes of using tissue flaps for finger reconstruction. The average patient age was 52.2 ± 14.1 years old, with a male-to-female ratio of 4.2:1. The median time elapsed between bite to initial surgery was 5 days [IQR, 4 – 6], and five patients underwent immediate reconstruction. Types of flaps used included local (4 flaps), regional (15 flaps), and distant flaps (12 flaps). Postoperative outcomes were classified as good (77.4%), fair (19.4%), and poor (3.2%). The average hospital stay was 21.4 ± 7.0 days. The median time for patients to return to work was 7 weeks [IQR, 5 – 8]. Long-term follow-up in 23 patients showed that most achieved a moderate level of finger mobility function (69.6%). Tissue flaps were demonstrated to be an effective method for soft tissue coverage of finger defects resulting from cobra bites, although the functional recovery of joint mobility remained limited.
Article Details
Keywords
Cobra snake, finger, defect, tissue flap, plastic surgery
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