Clinical Application of a New Balloon Dissector.

Choi, Moon Su; Koh, Kyung Suck; Park, Sang Hoon

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 1999;26(3):487-490.
Published online May 1, 1999.

Clinical Application of a New Balloon Dissector.

Moon Su Choi, Kyung Suck Koh, Sang Hoon Park

Abstract

A new balloon dissector, a modification of a Foley catheter, was devised and it can be used either as a dissector or a tissue expander. Since most operating time was spent in balloon manipulation (inflation/deflation), the duct for saline injection was made to be wider than the Foley catheter. As a result, the balloon could be inflated faster than before. In order to reduce the scar at the donor site, harvest of the sural nerve using endoscopic technique is currently applied, but utilization of this method is technically difficult and requires a long operating time. For these reasons, new our method of using a balloon dissector was devised. The balloon dissector can also be used for immediate intraoperative tissue expansion for the reconstruction of small skin defects without distortion. We have found that the advantages of using the new balloon dissector include a reduction in operating time, preservation of the perforating vessels, and primary closure with less tension. In addition, this simple and inexpensive instrument is cost-beneficial to patients.