Tissue expansion
Tissue Expansion
Tissue expansion (pronounced: tish-oo ex-pan-shun) is a common surgical procedure that allows the body to "grow" extra skin for use in reconstructing almost any part of the body.
Etymology
The term "tissue expansion" is derived from the English words "tissue", referring to the biological tissue, and "expansion", which means the action of becoming larger or more extensive.
Procedure
A silicone balloon expander is inserted under the skin near the area to be repaired and then gradually filled with saline solution over time. This causes the skin to stretch and grow. It is a technique used in plastic surgery after mastectomy or to repair skin damage from birth defects, accidents, or surgery.
Advantages
The primary advantage of tissue expansion is that the expansion of skin area can be controlled by the surgeon, and the newly grown skin is a near-perfect match for the surrounding skin. It also has a natural appearance because the skin is expanded gradually.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantage of tissue expansion is the length of time required to complete the process, which can take up to four months. There may also be discomfort and inconvenience as the expander stretches the skin.
Related Terms
- Silicone: A type of synthetic material used in a variety of medical applications, including tissue expanders.
- Saline solution: A mixture of salt and water often used in medical treatments.
- Plastic surgery: A surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction, or alteration of the human body.
- Mastectomy: A surgical operation to remove a breast.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Tissue expansion
- Wikipedia's article - Tissue expansion
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski