Parotid Duct Repair with Intubation Tube: Technical Note.

The parotid duct can be damaged in traumatic injuries and surgical interventions. Early diagnosis and treatment of a duct injury is of great importance because complications such as sialocele and salivary gland fistula may develop if the duct is not surgically repaired. We think the cuff of an intubation tube is an ideal material in parotid duct repair, because of its technical characteristics, easiness of availability, and low-cost. In this paper, we described the use of the cuff cannula of an intubation tube for the diagnosis and treatment of parotid duct laceration, as a low-cost and easy to access material readily available in every operating room.

Pulp Rotation Flap for Lateral Oblique Fingertip Defects.

BACKGROUND: Fingertip amputations are among the most common injuries seen in the hand. According to the geometry of the amputation, it may be classified as transverse or oblique (dorsal, volar, or lateral type). Although numerous repair techniques have been described in the literature, there are few alternatives suitable for lateral oblique type fingertip amputations. METHODS: Between 2012 and 2016, we operated on 16 patients with simple rotation flap from the remaining part of the pulpa in a rotation and advancement manner for the reconstruction of lateral oblique type fingertip amputations. RESULTS: All but two of the flaps healed completely with full flap survival. Superficial distal flap necrosis was observed in two patients. They healed by secondary intention. No obvious hooked nail occurred in patients. Cold intolerance was observed in one patient; joint stiffness or hypersensitivity was not observed in any of the patients. Stiffness of the proximal interphalangeal joint did not occur. Two point discrimination test results were found to be normal. CONCLUSION: This technique is simple, rapid, and free from relatively major complications. This flap allows for anatomical reconstruction of the fingertip by using a similar tissue in cases of lateral oblique fingertip amputations, where only a few flap options can be successful.

A case of isolated abducens nerve paralysis in maxillofacial trauma.

Nervus abducens is a pure motor nerve located in the pons. It retracts the eyeball laterally by stimulating rectus lateralis muscle. In case of their paralysis, diplopia and restriction in the eye movements while looking sideways, are seen. Since the same signs are seen due to the muscle entrapment in blowout fractures, its differential diagnosis has importance in terms of the treatment protocol and avoiding unnecessary operations. In this article, we present a 22-year-old male patient who was referred to our department due to the prediagnosis of blowout fracture following maxillofacial trauma. However, he was diagnosed with abducens nerve paralysis after the consultations and analysis and his restriction of movement was resolved via systemic steroid treatment instead of unnecessary operation.

Giant clinodactyly and macrodactyly of the hand associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Macrodactyly is a rare congenital deformity of the extremities, and with clinodactyly is even rarer. Both conditions may also be associated with a lipofibromatous hamartoma of the median nerve. We report an adult woman with clinodactyly and macrodactyly of the fourth and fifth fingers of her left hand associated with a carpal tunnel syndrome.

Comparison of the fistula risk associated with rotation palatoplasty and conventional palatoplasty for cleft palate repair.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of the cleft palate repair techniques are to reduce the velopharyngeal insufficiency risk and oronasal fistula development to minimal levels without affecting the maxillofacial development. In this article, we present a retrospective study comparing the conventional palatoplasty techniques with the new technique of rotation palatoplasty for the risk of development of oronasal fistula. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of the 100 patients who were operated on because of cleft palate between the years 2002 and 2008, 12 patients had Furlow palatoplasty, and 88 patients received the Veau-Wardill-Kilner (V-Y pushback) operation (group C). A total of 67 patients who were operated on between 2008 and 2011 had rotation palatoplasty (group R). RESULTS: One hundred patients were men, and 67 were women. Among all the patient groups, 22.8% were classified as Veau 1, 24.6% were classified as Veau 2, 37.1% were classified as Veau 3, and 15.6% were classified as Veau 4. The rate of fistula was found to be 17.7% in all patients. Fistula development was found in 6% of the patients in group R (4/67) and in 18% of the patients in group C (18/100). The difference between group R and group C regarding the number of patients who developed fistula was statistically significant (P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: The Veau classification of the cleft palate affects the risk of fistula development, and the risk for fistula after rotation palatoplasty is lower than that associated with the V-Y pushback technique.

Effect of brow lifting using botulinum a toxin on upper eyelid height in patients with ptosis undergoing the frontal sling technique.

In this study, brow lifting with botulinum A toxin was performed on patients whose ptosis was corrected using the frontal sling technique, and the effects of this application on ptosis were investigated. Seven patients (with 12 eyelids) on whom the frontal sling procedure was performed using a tensor fascia lata graft were enrolled in the study. The patients underwent brow lifting using botulinum A toxin. Digital photographs of the patients were obtained before and 21 days after botulinum A injection. In digital imaging analysis, although a statistically significant elevation was detected in the eyelids and brows of the patients following botulinum A injection, it did not to lead to a significant difference in the degree of lagophthalmos. In the current study, this procedure was found to reduce the degree of ptosis without increasing the degree of lagophthalmos in patients who had previously undergone ptosis correction using the frontal sling.

Hunter's technique without Hunter's rod.

Silicon rods initially advocated by Hunter have been widely used in two-stage flexor tendon reconstruction. Two-stage tendoplasty is an expensive procedure; with the addition of the high cost of rods, it is still more expensive. An experimental study investigated cheaper alternatives to silicon rods, but no clinical studies seem to have been reported so far. This study involved 17 patients undergoing two stage flexor tendon grafting. In all fingers, silicon urinary catheters were used as tendon prosthesis. The Wehbe et al modification of the Boyes and Stark classification was used for preoperative classification and Strickland formulation and Buck-Gramcko criteria for postoperative analysis. This clinical study showed that comparable clinical results and proper pseudosheaths for tendon grafting with similar histological and physical features can be obtained using a silicon urinary catheter which is fifty times less costly than Hunter's rod.

Clinical outcomes of suture delay in forehead flap.

The delay phenomenon is a surgical procedure performed to raise a wider skin flap and to improve the survival of skin flaps. Surgery, chemicals, sutures, and lasers can be used for the delay procedure. In this study, delayed forehead flaps created by suturing were used for coverage of nasal skin defects in eleven patients. In 7 patients, the cross-paramedian forehead flap was used to increase the extent of flap lengthening. In the first session, suture delay was performed on both sides of the forehead flap margin. In the second session, the flap was elevated and sutured to its new position, 7 to 10 days after the initial surgery. All flaps were completely viable, and patient satisfaction was optimal in all cases. The positive effect of surgical delay on flap survival has been shown in experimental and clinical studies. However, experimentally, suture delay or chemical delay procedures have been shown to be beneficial in flap survival only. Suture delay seems to be an inexpensive, effective, easily performed, atraumatic, and safe technique, especially among patients with systemic diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, smoking patients who may lose the flap, or patients who need very wide and long flaps.

Reconstruction of lower lip with myomucosal advancement flap.

BACKGROUND: In this article, a new surgical procedure that can be used for reconstruction of lower lip defects of any size is described. METHODS: In this prospective study, the surgical procedure was applied in 16 patients. In this procedure, the mucosa and the orbicularis oris muscle of the lower lip are repaired with a composite flap, and the skin defect is closed using local skin flaps. The patients were assessed in terms of complications, mouth opening, sphincter function of the mouth, and sensation in the lower lip. RESULTS: The aesthetic results obtained in all patients were satisfactory. Sufficient oral sphincter function was achieved in all patients. CONCLUSION: Reconstruction of lower lip defects using the procedure described here can be performed in patients with lower lip defects of any size as long as the mucosal and skin repair lines are not superimposed. This procedure yielded good sphincter function and aesthetic results.

Effects of lidocaine infiltration on cost of rhinoplasty made under general anesthesia.

This study aimed to compare the effects of combined and noncombined lidocaine with adrenaline infiltration in general anesthesia (GA) procedures, in which the standard anesthesia depth is monitored by Bispectral Index monitoring, on minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) levels and the costs. Following approval by the local ethics committee, an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I­II group of 40 adult patients for whom elective rhinoplasties under GA were planned was divided into 2 double-blind randomized groups. In group 1, GA and lidocaine + adrenaline were administered, whereas in group 2, only GA and adrenaline were administered. All the patients who had been taken to the operation room underwent electrocardiography and measurements of the peripheral oxygen saturation, end-tidal carbon dioxide, heart rate, mean blood pressure, and Bispectral Index monitoring. Using the operation time and the MAC% values, the total consumed inhalation agent amounts were calculated, and the cost difference was determined. The mean blood pressure values were lower in group 1 (P < 0.05). In group 1, the MAC% was 20.83% lower than that of group 2; the consumed desflurane amount was 20.29%, and the cost was 20.29% lower than that of group 2 (P < 0.05). In rhinoplasties under GA, the lidocaine + adrenaline combination infiltration not only decreased inhaled anesthetic requirement and cost but also supported the hemodynamic stability. In addition, surgical satisfaction increased in the lidocaine + adrenaline group because of small number of agitated patients during the recovery period.

Primary repair of the alveolar cleft.

Nasoalveolar fistula and oropharyngeal fistula of the anterior palatal region are very commonly seen in cases when there are concomitant clefts of the lip and the palate. Absence of adequate tissue in that region complicates the treatment and necessitates new tissue transfers from near or distant tissues. Today, the techniques used for correcting cleft lip cannot successfully solve these 2 problems. In this study, we describe a technique that depends on the principle of using the lip mucosal tissues that remains during the Tennison cleft lip correction technique, with a flap designation, to correct the tissue defect of the cleft between the foramen incisivum and lip and the alveolar region. Twenty-two patients (13 boys and 9 girls), with ages ranging from 3 to 53 months (mean, 24 mo), with unilateral cleft lip and palate underwent surgery with this new technique. In all these patients, clefts in the anterior palatal and alveolar regions were successfully corrected. Fistula was observed in none of these patients in these regions. Through this method, clefts in the anterior palatal and alveolar regions can be corrected during repair of cleft lips.

Use of rotation flap in repair of cleft palate and velopharyngeal insufficiency.

Although cleft palate anomaly is frequent, the criterion standards in surgical treatment have not been determined yet. There are a few techniques described for cleft palate repair owing to the limited tissue in the palatal mucosa, the rigid structure of the palatal mucosa, and the limited vascularity of the hard palate. In this study, a novel cleft palate repair technique based on separating the soft palate from the hard palate as a musculomucosal flap and using it as a rotation flap has been described. The operation is evaluated individually for each anomaly because variations occur in the surgical technique according to the extension of the cleft toward the teeth in the palate. This operation was performed on a total of 28 patients (17 girls and 11 boys) aged between 1.5 and 16 years and presented to our clinic. Patients were assessed for speech analysis outcomes, tympanogram values, hearing functions, magnitude of palatal lengthening during the operation, and rate of fistulae. Statistically significant differences in values of the speech analysis and the audiometric assessment were determined between before and 6 months after surgery. Complete recovery of otitis was observed 1 month after surgery without another treatment in 9 (42.8%) of 21 patients who were detected to have serous otitis media preoperatively. Tension-free closure, lower risk of fistula, good restoration of velopharyngeal functions, ability to be performed on all types of cleft palate, ability to provide a good intraoperative exposure, and being a single stage seem to be the most important advantages of this technique.

Closure of large myelomeningocele defects using dorsal intercostal artery perforator flap.

Small meningomylocele defects can be closed primarily. Other repair techniques are required for closure of meningomyelocele defects of >5 cm. In this anomaly, in which random or musculocutaneous flaps are usually used, the technique for skin defect closure should have the following criteria: a safely harvested flap with good blood supply; minimal morbidity in the donor site; closure with adequate thickness to protect the underlying neural structure; and a repair to prevent leakage of cerebrospinal fluid. The dorsal intercostal artery perforator flap is a new perforator flap with a large skin island that can be used safely in the dorsal region. In this article, repair of large skin defects due to myelomeningocele has been attempted using a dorsal intercostal artery perforator flap, and the results are discussed.

A case report of a patient with cleft palate carrying the risk of tetraplegia.

Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDC) is an inherited disorder of bone growth that results in short-trunk dwarfism, skeletal abnormalities, disorders in vision and hearing, atlanto-axial instability, and cleft palate. This important anomaly of the cervical vertebrae carries the risk of tetraplegia during cleft palate operations. In this case report, we discuss a case of spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, the perioperative and postoperative measures, and the risk of tetraplegia.

The effects of exogenous melatonin on peripheral nerve regeneration and collagen formation in rats.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral nerve damage that requires surgical repair does not result in complete recovery because of collagen scar formation, ischemia, free oxygen radical damage, and other factors. To date, the best treatment method has not yet been determined. In this study, we designed an experimental peripheral nerve injury model, and researched the possible effects of melatonin hormone, based on evidence of its strong antioxidant and cell-protective effects via mimicking the effects of calcium channel blockers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We randomized 24 healthy female albino rats into three groups: the pinealectomy group, melatonin group, and control group. In the pinealectomy group, craniotomy, pinealectomy, sciatic nerve transection, and coaptation were performed, and 0.9% NaCl was injected intraperitoneally. In the melatonin group, craniotomy (without pinealectomy), sciatic nerve dissection, and coaptation were performed, and melatonin was injected intraperitoneally, instead of NaCl. In the control group, craniotomy (without pinealectomy), sciatic nerve dissection and coaptation, and intraperitoneal NaCl injection were performed. In each group, nerve recovery was evaluated histologically, functionally, and electrophysiologically. Functional and electrophysiologic evaluations were conducted before surgery and at 4 and 12 wk. RESULTS: At 4 wk, no significant difference was observed between the groups. However, at 12 wk, significant electrophysiologic and functional improvement was observed only in the melatonin group. CONCLUSIONS: Melatonin seems to have a beneficial effect on nerve recovery. However, this effect is not effective at physiologic doses. Future comparative studies with melatonin versus other nerve-regenerating agents are necessary to determine the clinical utility of melatonin hormone.

The effect of perforator location on epigastric perforator flap survival: an experimental and stereological study in guinea pigs.

One challenge most often seen in perforator-based flaps is the topographic relationship between the flap and its perforator, which determines flap design and pedicle length. Thirty female guinea pigs were used in this study. They were divided into four different groups including three experimental groups (n = 8), which were designed as central, lateral, and distal groups according to the perforator location, and one control group (n = 6). Flap survival and vessel density rates were assessed. There was no statistically significant difference ( P > 0.05) among either the surviving skin areas or the vascular density rates of the experimental groups, although all flaps were necrosed in the control group. We concluded that perforator flaps can safely be raised on the perforators located very distal or lateral to the flaps, as well as central classical location. Moreover, perforator flaps larger than suggested can safely be harvested in the same donor sites.

Management of a composite foot defect due to mine explosion using the free fibula osteocutaneous flap.

Free flaps have recently become the first preference for complex foot defects, with many advantages including ability to present suitable and adequate tissue, to enhance blood flow of the extremity, and to decrease risk of osteomyelitis. A 25-year-old male patient was referred to us with a complex injury of the left foot due to mine explosion. We successfully restored the defect with the ipsilateral free vascularized fibula osteocutaneous flap. The flap survived completely. After 8 weeks postoperatively, the patient began to walk. An adequate foot contour was achieved, and both the transverse and longitudinal arches were reestablished. Recovery of the donor site was also good. The free fibula osteocutaneous flap was able to present a composite tissue required in a defective foot, by leaving single donor site morbidity in one session. We believe that this flap may be a preferred option in complex foot defects.

Evaluation of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging in assessing velopharyngeal insufficiency during phonation.

BACKGROUND: Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) expresses the structural and neuromuscular disorder of soft palate and pharyngeal walls inhibiting the normal functions of velopharyngeal (VP) sphincter mechanism. In this study, efficacy of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of VPI is investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 32 cases, 16 controls and 16 cleft palates, were included in this study. T1 fast spin echo-weighted imaging during rest, dynamic investigations with True-fast imaging with steady-state precession sequence during /sss/ and /mmm/ phonations were performed. RESULTS: During /sss/ phonation, complete closure was observed in the control group, whereas mean VP opening was 4.11 cm2 preoperatively and 0.21 cm2 postoperatively in the cleft palate group. In the postoperative period, only 3 patients did not have complete closure. In the second operations, performed 6 months later, only muscle repair was done. All 3 had complete closure. CONCLUSIONS: In cleft palate cases with delayed diagnosis, appropriate application of muscle repair will be sufficient for anatomic repair of VPI without any extra procedures. In addition, dynamic magnetic resonance imaging is an objective, noninvasive, reliable, and effective modality that may be used in the diagnosis and treatment of VPI without any extra investigations.