03/01/2025
🐶 Michael's Leg Lump 🐶
Michael is an 8-year-old German Pinscher who had an ulcerated lump on his lower front leg. The irritation from the wound caused Michael to lick at his leg, making the ulceration worse.
Dr Jess recommended performing a Fine Needle Aspirate (FNA) of the lump to determine its origin and, therefore, help us decide on a surgical plan for removal. The FNA came back as an adnexal neoplasm, a benign tumour associated with hair follicles, with additional inflammation from the licking. Because Michael was very bothered by it, we recommended that the lump be removed.
As there was limited loose skin in this location, regular closure of the wound would not have been possible. In these situations, we utilise a skin flap, which uses “donor skin” from nearby the surgical site to close the “recipient site” with the blood supply intact. Dr Cindy assessed Michael’s lump and deemed it suitable for a brachial axial pattern flap, which uses the skin and blood vessel supply higher up on the leg to close the surgical wound.
The surgery was successful and the skin flap was rotated into place, allowing for removal of the lump and closure of the wound. The rotation of the flap means Michael now has a bulge in his skin at the pivot point, but this is much more comfortable than his previous lump!
Skin flaps take approximately 2 weeks to heal. A potential complication of skin flaps is wound breakdown at the recipient site, due to uncontrollable factors such as inadequate blood supply and movement during healing. Michael had a small area of wound breakdown at one end of his wound, but close management with regular bandaging and rechecks meant that it was able to heal nicely.
Michael has since recovered well from surgery, and is enjoying life with his family.
