Michael F. Klaassen – författare

The content follows an anatomical approach based on the complex and often staged reconstruction of extreme facial skin cancer. Written in a clear and logical format, it is intended as a guideline atlas and surgical handbook, defining the principles of CLEAR (Complete Local Excision of the cancer + Aesthetic Reconstruction)  and DRAPE (Delayed Reconstruction After Pathological Examination)  for reconstructing the face. The book incorporates a wealth of multi-disciplinary knowledge from surgeons, anaesthetists, research scientists, speech / swallowing therapists, pathologists, radiologists and prosthetic rehabilitation specialists. 

This book is a tribute to Dr Joan Chapple CNZM FRACS, who qualified as New Zealand''s first formally trained female plastic surgeon in the late 1950s and practised as a plastic and hand surgeon in Auckland, New Zealand for over 38 years. She was selected for surgical training by the late Sir William Manchester, who started the Middlemore Plastic Surgery Unit in December 1950. 

Joan was an original thinker and a pioneer in the fields of wound care and healing in her own right.  She self-published “The Management of Soft Tissue Injuries: Philosophy, Principles and Practice” in 1994, followed by her definitive “Wound Care and Healing: The Physiological Challenge” in 2003.  

Joan Chapple’s primary hypotheses were: 1. Injury initiates a series of coordinated living responses.  2. Living cells need to be nurtured in a moist and non-toxic environment.  3. The speed and quality of recovery and repair after injury depends on the circulation.  4. The body recovers and heals with or without treatment, but never without circulation.

Joan Chapple remains an important virtual mentor to future generations of surgeons, nurses, emergency specialists and general practitioners.

This book provides a useful framework for categorizing local flaps on the basis of their composition, blood supply, geometry and means of transfer. The initial chapters are dedicated to the fundamentals – the basic procedures, how to get started, and technical tips – as well as advice on wound care and scar management.

These practical pointers are essential for students of plastic surgery, while also offering helpful refreshers for experienced practitioners. The subsequent chapters describe the types of flaps that are traditionally taught and the 10 most common flaps. There is also a practical guide to W-plasty, Z-plasty and their various modifications, which can be applied to both scar revision and the closure of the donor sites. The book also discusses the Keystone Perforator Island Flap (KPIF) and its application to various body sites, offering elegant solutions to some very tricky situations. In turn, the book’s final chapters are focused on assessment, decision-making an

Rather than demonstrate exactly how to execute flaps, the book’s primary goal is to inspire students and trainees to think about the reconstructive problem, consider all patient-related and anatomical factors, and accurately recognize what can feasibly be achieved.

This book serves as a guide for senior trainees preparing for their final professional exams at the end of at least 4 – 5 years of advanced training in an approved plastic and reconstructive surgery training programme.

These exams are extremely challenging and difficult to pass, and a knowledge of plastic surgery alone is not enough. Judgement, discipline and the ability to handle the pressure of the exam interactions are key. The book dissects each segment of the exam and presents the common clinical, anatomical and pathological cases that candidates are likely to encounter.