WARNING: Graphic Surgery Images Follow!

By Dr. Samuel Yoder

This is a 10 month-old spayed female German Shepherd. This little girl presented to the clinic due to a fast-growing lump on her left elbow. The lump was found to be calcinosis circumscripta, which is a disease commonly found in German Shepherds. If not removed, this growth would continue to grow and become very inflamed.

The problem with a lump this size is that there is not enough skin on the elbow to allow skin coverage of the removed lump; it requires a specialized skin graft. Below is a representation of a lateral thoracic axial pattern flap. Dr. Yoder performed this procedure to take extra skin from the chest wall, and rotate it to cover up the elbow skin deficit.

The image below was taken 2 weeks post-surgery. It’s looking good and healing well.

This is her leg 1 month post surgery. She healed, and went on to a full recovery!