Split thickness skin graft removal from free flaps: indications and technique.

A variety of methods are commonly used in plastic surgery for skin defect reconstruction. Split skin graft (SSG) is the most commonly used method in the soft tissue defects reconstructive ladder to achieve coverage. One of the most distressing postoperative problem associated with SSG is donor site pain because of the healing process and the stimulation of nociceptive fibers, which is proportional to the size of the harvested area. In the "bowtie scar" method, we describe a technique harvesting the SSG in addition to a gracilis-free flap. The bowtie scar method is an efficient and economical use of donor tissue from the gracilis-free flap. It allows for rapid healing, minimal scarring, and improved cosmesis.