Sequential reconstruction for recurrent head and neck cancer: A 10-year experience

BACKGROUND: Most patients with head and neck cancer successfully undergo oncologic resection followed by free or local flap reconstruction, depending on the tumor’s size and location. Despite effective curative resection and reconstruction, head and neck cancer patients still face a high risk of recurrence and the possibility of a second primary cancer. Moreover, surgeons hesitate to perform sequential reconstruction following curative resection for several reasons. Few large-scale studies on this subject are available. Therefore, we retrospectively evaluated the outcome of sequential head and neck reconstruction to determine the possible risks. METHODS: In total, 467 patients underwent head and neck reconstruction following cancer resection at our center from 2008 to 2017. Of these cases, we retrospectively reviewed the demographic and clinical features of 58 who had sequential head and neck reconstruction following resection of recurrent cancer. RESULTS: Our study included 43 males (74.1%) and 15 females (25.9%). The mean age at the initial operation was 55.4±15.3 years, while the mean age at the most recent operation was 59.0±14.3 years. The interval between the first and second operations was 49.2±62.4 months. Twelve patients (20.7%) underwent surgery on the tongue, and 12 (20.7%) had procedures on the oropharynx. Thirty-four patients (58.6%) received a sequential free flap reconstruction, and 24 patients (41.4%) were treated using locoregional flaps. No cases of flap failure occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that patients who need additional operations with recurrent head and neck cancer could optimally benefit from sequential curative resections and reconstructions.

Patient Satisfaction with Implant Based Breast Reconstruction Associated with Implant Volume and Mastectomy Specimen Weight Ratio / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: Breast volume assessment is one of the most important steps during implant-based breast reconstruction because it is critical in selecting implant size. According to previous studies, there is a close relationship between the mastectomy specimen weight and resected breast volume. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term patient satisfaction with implant-based breast reconstruction guided by the ratio of implant volume to mastectomy specimen weight. In doing so, we describe the ideal ratio for patient satisfaction. METHODS: A total of 84 patients who underwent implant-based breast reconstruction for breast cancer were included in this study. The patients were grouped by the ratio of implant size to mastectomy specimen weight (group 1, 75%). Outcome analysis was performed using a questionnaire of patient satisfaction and the desired implant size. RESULTS: Patient satisfaction scores concerning the postoperative body image, size, and position of the reconstructed breast were significantly higher in group 2. The average ratio of the ideal implant volume to mastectomy specimen weight for each group was 71.9% (range, 54.5%–96.7%), with the differences across the three groups being not significant (p=0.244). CONCLUSION: Since there is an increase in breast reconstruction, selecting the appropriate breast implant is undoubtedly important. Our novel technique using the ratio of implant volume to mastectomy specimen weight provides physicians a firm guide to intraoperative selection of the proper implant in reconstructive breast surgery.

Facial Flap Repositioning in Posttraumatic Facial Asymmetry

Perfect facial and body symmetry is an important aesthetic concept which is very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. Yet, facial asymmetries are commonly encountered by plastic and reconstructive surgeons. Here, we present a case of posttraumatic facial asymmetry successfully treated with a unique concept of facial flap repositioning. A 25-year-old male patient visited our department with severe posttraumatic facial asymmetry. There was deviated nasal bone and implant to the right, and the actual facial appearance asymmetry was much more severe compared to the computed tomography, generally shifted to the right. After corrective rhinoplasty, we approached through intraoral incision, and much adhesion from previous surgeries was noted. We meticulously elevated the facial flap of both sides, mainly involving the cheeks. The elevated facial flap was shifted to the left, and after finding the appropriate location, we sutured the middle portion of the flap to the periosteum of anterior nasal spine for fixation. We successfully freed the deviated facial tissues and repositioned it to improve symmetry in a single stage operation. We conclude that facial flap repositioning is an effective technique for patients with multiple operation history, and such method can successfully apply to other body parts with decreased tissue laxity.

Perforator Based Tibialis Anterior Segmental Muscle Island Flap in Lower Extremity Reconstruction

Reconstruction of the lower extremities is difficult due to a lack of skin laxity and muscular tissues. Here, we present a case of lower extremity reconstruction via the anterior tibial artery perforator based segmental muscle island flap. Our patient was a 75-year-old male with a chronic ulcerative wound on the right lower leg from an old car accident. A 5.0×0.5 cm size ulcerative wound with tibial bone exposure was noted. We planned to reconstruct the lower extremity defect with a free flap, but the vessel status was severely compromised intraoperatively. Thus, we found the anterior tibial artery perforator using Doppler ultrasound, elevated the tibialis anterior muscle segment flap, and transposed it to cover the defect successfully. The flap presented with a nice contour and the skin graft covering the flap survived completely. There were no complications of the surgical site at three months follow-up and no gait morbidity. This is a meaningful case applying the concept of segmental muscle flap based on a perforator that had advantages including proper bulkiness, vascularization, and preservation of function, which were well applied, leading to great success.

The Keystone Flap in Greater Trochanter Pressure Sore

The keystone flap is a fascia-based island flap with two conjoined V-Y flaps. Here, we report a case of successful treatment of a trochanter pressure sore patient with the traditional keystone flap. A 50-year-old male patient visited our department with a 3×5 cm pressure sore (grade III) to the left of the greater trochanter that was covered with eschar. Debridement was done and the defect size increased to 5×8 cm in an elliptical shape. Doppler ultrasound was then used to locate the inferior gluteal artery perforator near the wound. The keystone flap was designed to the medial side. The perforator based keystone island flap covered the defect without resistance. The site remained clean, and no dehiscence, infection, hematoma, or seroma developed. In general, greater trochanter pressure sores are covered with a perforator based propeller flap or fascia lata flap. However, these flaps have the risk of pedicle kinking and require a large operation site. For the first time, we successfully applied the keystone flap to treat a greater trochanter pressure sore patient. Our design was also favorable with the relaxation skin tension lines. We conclude that the keystone flap including a perforator is a reliable option to reconstruct trochanteric pressure sores.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome after the Use of Gadolinium Contrast Media

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a medical emergency that threatens life. To this day, ARDS is very rarely reported by iodine contrast media, and there is no reported case of ARDS induced by gadolinium contrast media. Here, we present a case with ARDS after the use of gadobutrol (Gadovist) as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast medium. A 26 years old female without any medical history, including allergic diseases and without current use of drugs, visited the emergency room for abdominal pain. Her abdominopelvic computed tomography with iodine contrast media showed a right ovarian cyst and possible infective colitis. Eighty-three hours later, she underwent pelvis MRI after injection of 7.5 mL (0.1 mL/kg body weight) of gadobutrol (Gadovist) to evaluate the ovarian cyst. She soon presented respiratory difficulty, edema of the lips, nausea, and vomiting, and we could hear wheezing upon auscultation. She was treated with dexamethasone, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. Her chest X-ray showed bilateral central bat-wing consolidative appearance. Managed with mechanical ventilation, she was extubated 3 days later and discharged without complications.

Skin-Fat Composite Grafts after Excisions of Medium Sized Congenital Melanocytic Nevi in Children

BACKGROUND: Medium-sized congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) require surgical excision because of the risk of malignant transformation and aesthetic concerns. There are various possible reconstruction methods after excision, such as primary repair, skin graft, local flap, and composite graft. In this study, we used skin-fat composite grafts for reconstructing full-thickness skin defects and assessed the aesthetic outcomes. METHODS: Facial nevi excision plus skin-fat composite grafts were performed in 11 children (range, 3-16 years old). All grafts were harvested from the preauricular area on one or both sides; they included the epidermis, full-thickness dermis, and subcutaneous fat. All procedures were performed simultaneously. Standardized photographs were taken preoperatively and at a mean follow-up of 10.5 months. Viewing the photographs, four plastic surgeons rated the aesthetic outcomes of all patients using the following scale: 1, poor; 2, fair; 3, good; 4, very good; and 5, excellent. RESULTS: No patient was diagnosed with malignancy. There were no complications, such as graft loss, infection, or aesthetic problems that required surgical revision. All donor sites healed well and exhibited only minimal scarring. The aesthetic outcomes of skin-fat composite grafts were outstanding with a mean score of 4.2 +/- 0.4. Most patients and parents were highly satisfied with the results. CONCLUSIONS: Skin-fat composite grafts provide good color match, texture, and contour. They are more tolerable, especially in children, because the technique involves simpler procedures and shorter operation times than local flaps. They may be the ideal option for facial defects after excision of medium-sized melanocytic nevi.

Factors Associated with Diabetic Retinopathy and Nephropathy Screening in Korea: The Third and Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III and IV)

This cross-sectional study was done to identify and determine the socio-demographic and health-related factors associated with diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy screening in Korea. Participants included 2,660 adults, aged 40 or older, with diabetes. Of the 2,660 adults, 998 (37%) and 1,226 (46.1%) had received a diabetic retinopathy and a nephropathy screening within one year, respectively. Regarding retinopathy, subjects older than 65, living in urban areas, with high educational levels, and with self-reported "unhealthy" status were likely to receive annual screening. Subjects living in urban areas, with higher educational levels, with self-reported "fair" or "unhealthy" status, and with 1 to 2 co-morbidities were likely to receive annual nephropathy screening. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) continued to rise until 2007 when it started to decline over the subsequent years, following the same curve as the diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy screening rates during that time. Together with the financial matter, lack of patient education proved to be a hindrance to diabetes-related screening. The relatively low screening rates in Korea compared to the Western countries are likely to be due to the difference in the health system, economic situations and national demographics.