Abstract: Abstract: Soft tissue expansion plays an important role in the field of plastic surgery, especially in breast reconstruction and burn plastic surgery. The superficial skin and soft tissue defects can be repaired with full-thickness skin flaps as well as free grafts. However, in ocular reconstruction surgery, large area of tissue defects caused by tumor resection or trauma need to be repaired by large area of skin and soft tissue. Traditional transposition skin flaps or free grafts can not complete the repair. Skin and soft tissue expansion can provide excellent skin and soft tissue matching skin color, texture and thickness. Expanded skin and soft tissue can repair eyelid and periorbital tissue defects by sliding or rotating in various forms. This technique provides a valuable surgical alternative for managing various periorbital defects. However, this technique still has a long expansion period in the application of ophthalmology, and the late contracture of the soft tissue of the expanded skin is severe, and the key problems such as the ischemic necrosis of the distal part of the metastatic flap cannot be solved, thus seriously affecting the repair effect. This article reviews the indications and common complications of skin soft tissue expansion in ophthalmic plastic surgery in order to be helpful to clinic practice.

Key words: tissue expansion, periocular reconstruction, reconstructive surgical procedures