Free Flap Reconstruction in the Head and Neck Regions: A Review of 40 Cases / 대한이비인후과학회지
Korean Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
;
: 876-881, 1999.
Article
in Korean
| WPRIM
| ID: wpr-645872
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
With the advent of free flap reconstruction techniques, several free flaps were used for a variety of head and neck defects. The objective of this study was to review our experience during 3-year period in performing 40 microvascular free flaps for head and neck defects. Materials andMethod:
A review of 40 microvascular free flaps performed in 38 patients between April 1995 through August 1998 was undertaken. Patient's age, sex, stage of disease, types of free flaps, short-term postoperative outcome including the flap success rate, postoperative complications, effect of preoperative irradiation on the development of the wound complications such as fistula were evaluated.RESULTS:
36 (90%) of 40 free flaps were successful with 4 failures resulting from 3 venous thromboses and 1 infection. Emergent reexploration was done in 2 patients, none of whom were successfully salvaged. The postoperative surgical complications including donor site complications and medical complications were seen in 17 flaps (47%) and in 8 flaps (22%), with multiple complications seen in several patients. The preoperative radiotherapy did not affect the incidence of the postoperative surgical complications (p=0.273).CONCLUSION:
In review of our experience, we believe that free flap reconstruction in head and neck regions has become a useful procedure with acceptable outcome and complication rates and has surpassed conventional techniques cosmetically and functionally.
Full text:
Available
Index:
WPRIM (Western Pacific)
Main subject:
Postoperative Complications
/
Radiotherapy
/
Tissue Donors
/
Wounds and Injuries
/
Incidence
/
Venous Thrombosis
/
Free Tissue Flaps
/
Fistula
/
Head
/
Neck
Type of study:
Incidence study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
Korean
Journal:
Korean Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Year:
1999
Type:
Article
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