ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the management of difficult recipient vessel preparation in microsurgical reconstruction for oral and maxillofacial defects with free flaps and to assess the clinical outcome.Methods A total number of 739 patients with oral and maxillofacial defects underwent consecutive free flap reconstruction with 761 free flaps from May,2012 to May,2015.There were 37 patients who could not find or lack of proper recipient vessels for microvascular anastomosis during operation.Among them,22 were recurrent oral cancer after tumor ablation,10 of them undrewent post-operative radiotherapy;5 were second primary oral cancer,7 diagnosed with osteoradionecrosis,and 3 suffered from oral and maxillofacial defect and deformity caused by trauma or inflammation.Forty free flaps including 23 anterolateral thigh flaps (ALT),10 fibular flaps and 7 radial forearm flaps were harvested.Methods and techniques used during the operation,instant patency rate after anastomosis,the overall survival rate of free flaps,and post-operative complications were recorded.Results Ninety-one anastomoses were performed between 87 pairs of vessels in 37 patients.Fifty recepient vessels were located on ipsilateral side of neck,and the most frequently used recipient vessels were those preserved or not being damaged in former operation and radiation,former transferred free flap vascular pedicles and residual ends of the ligated vessels.Thirty-seven recepient vessels were found on the contralateral side of neck.Thirty-one cases of long-pedicle flap harvesting,2 cases of vein and artery grafting,4 cases of vessel transposition,5 cases of phleboplasties,9 cases of end-to-side anastomoses,and 1 case of flow-through technique were applied in recipient vessels preparation alone or in combination.The patency rate of anastomosis during operation was 100％ and the overall survival rate of free flaps was 97.5％.Conclusion Recurrent oral cancer after tumor ablation,second primary oral cancer,osteoradionecrosis and deformity caused by trauma and inflammation are the main reasons of unsuitable recipient vessel conditions in microsurgical reconstruction for oral and maxillofacial defects.Methods including long-pedicle flap harvesting,venous grafting,vessel transposition,phleboplasty,end-to-side anastomosis and flow-through technique applied alone or in combination are still reliable choices for management of neck difficult recipient vessel preparation and anastomosis.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The selection of the recipient vessels in breast reconstruction has a great influence on the surgical result and the shape of the reconstructed breast. We would like to introduce the criteria for the selection of recipient vessels in delayed reconstruction of the breast. METHODS: We studied 56 patients with delayed breast reconstruction using free TRAM flaps from April 1994 to December 2006. The thoracodorsal and the ipsilateral internal mammary vessels were used as recipients in 25 patients each, the opposite internal mammary vessels in 3 patients, the thoracoacromial vessels in 2 patients, and the transverse cervical artery with the cephalic vein in 1 patient. The survival rate of the flaps, the vessel diameter, the length of the pedicles, and the convenience of vessel dissection were studied. RESULTS: The diameter of the recipient vessel did not influence the anastomosis. The operation time, the survival rate of flap, the postoperative complications showed no significant difference according to the recipient vessel. Dissection of the thoracodorsal vessels was tedious due to scar formation from the prior operation. Dissection of the internal mammary vessels proved to be relatively easy, and the required length of the pedicle was shorter than any other site, but the need for removal of rib cartilage makes this procedure inconvenient. CONCLUSION: The first choice of the recipient vessel in immediate breast reconstruction is the thoracodorsal vessels, but in cases of delayed reconstruction the internal mammary vessels are favored as the first choice, because the thoracodorsal vessels have a high unusability rate. If the ipsilateral internal mammary vessels prove to be useless, the contralateral vessels can be used. The thoracoacromial vessels are useful, when the mastectomy scar is located in the upper portion. The transverse cervical artery and the cephalic vein can serve as the last resort, if all other vessels are unreliable.