First Successful Replantation of Face and Scalp With Single-Artery Repair: Model for Face and Scalp Transplantation

Successful replantation of the scalp with microanastomosis of a single artery and vein has been reported to produce reliable results. In fact, there have been several reports of scalp replantations based on one-artery and vein repair. There has been a face and scalp replantation reported in the literature, but this was as two separate parts and was based on several arterial and venous repairs. The authors performed the first successful replantation of a face and scalp with repair of a single artery and, of course, two veins. A 21-year-old man presented after his face and scalp were completely severed. The patient's long hair was caught in a conveyor belt at work. The face and scalp underwent replantation, with repair of the right superficial temporal artery with an interposition vein graft. A multiteam approach allowed for minimization of overall ischemic time and simultaneous preparation of the vessels on the patient and amputated part as well as vein graft harvest from the arm. Also critical to the success of the procedure, the small portions of the vessels of the amputated part were sent for frozen section to differentiate artery from vein. Initially, only the right superficial temporal vein was repaired. One week after replantation, the patient returned for treatment of venous congestion of an area to the opposite side of the forehead partial transection, with repair of the left superficial temporal vein, also. This saved the entire part that underwent replantation, and the entire part survived. The face and scalp can undergo replantation based on single-artery repair.