Versatility of the buccinator myomucosal flap in atypical palate reconstructions.

Initially described for the treatment of cleft palate, the anatomical bases of the buccinator myomucosal flap were described by Bozola et al. (1989). A meticulous search found several reports of its use for the correction of post-palatoplasty oronasal fistulas, with only a few reports of its use for other palate-related pathologies. A retrospective analysis was undertaken of patients treated by the Plastic Surgery Units at the Rio de Janeiro Federal University Hospital (HU-UFRJ) and the São Paulo University Hospital (HC-USP), suffering from palatal lesions not associated with a cleft palate and treated through the use of buccinator myomucosal flaps. The average age was 47 years, with 70% of the patients being male. Assorted aetiologies were noted for palatal defects. When there was significant damage to the soft palate, a superior base pharyngeal flap was used. Of this total, in 71% of the cases only the buccinator myomucosal flap was used. In all cases, the flaps were unilateral, adequately covering the defects in question. The buccinator myomucosal flap is a good option for reconstructing medium to large palate defects, as it is a flap with good vascularization and dimension, in addition to an ample arc of rotation, with primary closure of the donor site, without adding significant morbidity.

Use of local muscle flaps to cover leg bone exposures.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of the medial gastrocnemius muscle and/or soleus muscle flaps as surgical treatment of the leg bone exposure. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients undergoing transposition of the medial gastrocnemius and / or soleus for treating exposed bone in the leg, from January 1976 to July 2009, gathering information on epidemiological data, the etiology the lesion, the time between the initial injury and muscle transposition, the muscle used to cover the lesion, the healing evolution of the skin coverage and the function of the gastrocnemius-soleus unit. RESULTS: 53 patients were operated, the ages varying between nine and 84 years (mean age 41); 42 were male and 11 female. The main initial injury was trauma (84.8%), consisting of tibia and / or fibula fracture. The most frequently used muscle was the soleus, in 40 cases (75.5%). The rank of 49 patients (92.5%) was excellent or good outcome, of three (5.6%) as regular and of one (1.9%) as unsatisfactory. CONCLUSION: the treatment of bone exposure with local muscle flaps (gastrocnemius and/or soleus) enables obtaining satisfactory results in covering of exposed structures, favoring local vascularization and improving the initial injury. It offers the advantage of providing a treatment in only one surgical procedure, an earlier recovery and reduced hospital stay.

Analysis of the use of fasciocutaneous flaps for immediate vulvar reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the use of immediate reconstruction techniques of the vulva after surgical resection, with fasciocutaneous flaps of the medial and/or posterior thigh. METHODS: We conducted a transversal, retrospective study to analyse the outcome of immediate surgical reconstruction with fasciocutaneous flaps in nine patients who underwent vulvectomy from May 2009 to August 2010. RESULTS: Mean age was 61 years (range 36-82). In 56% of cases, diagnosis was vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), usual type. Radical vulvectomy was performed in 45% of patients, simple vulvectomy in 33% and wide resections in 22%. Eleven fasciocutaneous flaps were made, of which 36.3% were flap transpositions from the posterior thigh, 18.2% from the medial thigh, 18.2% were in advancement flaps, 18.2% simple advancement flaps and 9.1% flap rotation from the posterior thigh. There were no major losses of the flaps made. CONCLUSION: Thigh fasciocutaneous flaps are currently the best options for immediate reconstruction after resection of vulvar cancer due to the preservation of sensibility and tissue availability in the donor areas. The association of the Plastic Surgeon with the Gynecologist offers tranquility for patients and provides good postoperative results.

Profile evaluation of patients with cleft lip and palate undergoing surgery at a reference center in rio de janeiro, Brazil.

In Brazil, the classic timeline for operating on cleft lip and palate is three months old for cheiloplasty and is 12 to 18 months old for palatoplasty. As from Brazilian treatment centers are usually located in major cities, patients living in more remote areas are often unable to receive treatment at the ideal ages. Data were analyzed retrospectively on 45 patients with cleft lip and/or palate, consecutively operated at the Reference Center, Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Brazil. Particularly noteworthy among these data are gender, clinical presentation, operations performed, age of surgery, and the distance between their homes and the hospital. The average age of patients undergoing primary cheiloplasty was 9.4 months, with primary palatoplasties performed at an average age of 7.2 years. As 67% of these patients lived in other towns, they encountered difficulties in seeking and continuing specialized care. Despite attempts to decentralize cleft palate care in Brazil, suitable conditions are not yet noted for following the treatment protocols in a full and adequate manner.