Clinical assessment of the results of one-stage circular incision techniques for limb ring constriction due to amniotic band syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Amniotic band syndrome (ABS) is a congenital malformation that results in abnormalities in many parts of the body. Most surgical treatments for ABS used multi-stage Z-plasties. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical results of one-stage circular incision techniques for limb ring constriction due to amniotic band syndrome.

METHODS: We reviewed 27 patients with limb ring constriction in ABS from 2010 to 2020. The mean ages of the patients were 11.7 months (range, 0-72 months). The complete circular incision release the ABS. All patients' operations were used one-stage circular incision surgical techniques, including patients with multiple bands. All the patients were followed up with a period ranges from 2 years to 10 years. Patient-reported visual analog scale (VAS) scar ranking on a scale of 0 (minimum satisfaction) to 10 (maximum satisfaction) were used to evaluate esthetic outcomes.

RESULTS: After our surgery, all the limbs, toes, and fingers were rescued, and the lymphedema reduced remarkably. The VAS scores (mean ± SD) for patient satisfaction were 7.55 ± 1.89. The surgical treatment of amniotic band syndrome in a one-stage circular incision is safe and effective.

CONCLUSION: The one-stage circular incision surgical techniques have many advantages, including reduced surgical invasiveness, scar formation, and the cost of treatment.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV-retrospective case series.