Comparison of the microvascular anastomotic Coupler™ system with hand-sewn suture for end to end veno-venous anastomosis for head and neck reconstruction with free flap transfer: Medico-economic retrospective case-control study.

The aim of this study was to assess the medico-economic impact of the MACD Coupler™ system in comparison with HSA for end to end veno-venous anastomosis during free flap transfer. A retrospective case-control study was performed in an academic institution, from March 2019 through July 2021, to analyze medical and economic outcomes of patients managed for head and neck reconstruction with free flap transfer. 43 patients per group were analyzed. Rates of initial success, re-intervention, complications and flap transfer failure were not different between groups. Use of MACD increased the cost of medical devices between Coupler and Control groups with respectively K€ 0.7 [0.5; 0.8] and K€ 0.1 [0.5; 0.8] (p = 0.001) and decreased the cost for operating staff with respectively K€ 4.0 [3.4; 5.2] and K€ 5.1 [3.8; 5.4] (p = 0.03). The total management costs were not different between groups with respectively a total median cost of K€ 18.4 [14.3; 27.2] and K€ 17.3 [14.1; 23.7] (p = 0.03). In conclusion, the cost of the Coupler™ is significant but is partly offset by the decrease in operating staff costs. The choice of one or the other technique can be left to the discretion of the surgeon.

Eyelid and periorbital necrotizing fasciitis, a severe preseptal infection, a systemic review of the literature and anatomical illustrations.

In necrotizing fasciitis, aggressive surgical debridement and broad-spectrum antibiotics are the cornerstone of treatment but cannot be proposed for the eyelid and periorbital area because of the risk of blindness, eyeball exposure and disfiguration. The aim of this review was to determine the most effective management of this severe infection while preserving eye function. A literature search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect and Embase databases was conducted for all articles published up to March 2022; 53 patients were included. Management was probabilistic, combining antibiotic therapy with skin (+/- orbicularis oculi muscle) debridement in 67.9 % of cases, and probabilistic antibiotic therapy alone in 16.9% of cases. Radical surgery with exenteration was performed in 11.1% of patients; 20.9% of patients had complete loss of vision, and 9.4% died of the disease. Aggressive debridement was rarely necessary possibly because of the anatomical particularities of this region.

Orbitofrontal Reconstruction With a Three-Dimensional Titanium Patient-Specific Implant After Intraosseous Haemangioma Resection.

BACKGROUND: Intraosseous hemangiomas are rare benign tumors that can develop in the skull. Orbitofrontal localization is uncommon. The complexity of orbitofrontal anatomy results in difficult reconstruction following trauma or tumoral resection. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50-year-old woman with a right orbitofrontal intraosseous hemangioma was referred to our department. The authors decided to perform tumoral bone resection and orbitofrontal reconstruction using virtual surgical planning in collaboration with Materialize engineers (Materialise, Leuven, Belgium). Three cutting guides and a patient-specific 3-dimensional (3D) titanium implant were designed and manufactured in 3 weeks. Surgery was performed with a double surgical team composed of maxillofacial surgeons and neurosurgeons. No perioperative or post-operative complications occurred. Post-operatively, the patient was completely asymptomatic and clinical examination showed symmetrical and satisfactory facial morphology. CONCLUSION: Virtual surgical planning, design of patient-specific guides and manufacturing of implants make surgery easier and increase surgical precision. This technique is recommended for wide use in cases of oncological or complex trauma craniomaxillofacial reconstruction.

A new flap combination for reconstruction of lower nasal dorsum and supra-tip skin defects.

Repairing surgical defects of the nose is still challenging due to its tridimensional shape and its aesthetic concern. Difficulty in reconstructing nasal subunits lies in their contour, skin texture and limited availability of adjacent skin. For lower nasal dorsum and supra-tip regions, we design a new combined local flap as existing local flaps may give disappointing results. This combination flap was performed on two patients for reconstruction of the lower nasal dorsum area after basal cell carcinoma excision. Size of the excision ranged from 20 to 25 mm diameter and safe margins were obtained. The defects were reconstructed with a local flap that combined a rotation nasal flank flap and a V-Y advancement nasolabial flap. Excision and reconstruction were performed in a one-stage surgery under intravenous sedation and local anesthesia. There were no postoperative complications and no flap loss occurred. Aesthetic and functional results after 6 months postoperatively were satisfying without modification of nasal shape. This flap is reliable and offers interesting functional and aesthetic outcomes. It can be considered as a new reconstruction alternative for supra-tip and lower nasal dorsum skin defects performed in a one-stage procedure under local anesthesia.