• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.140-147
• /
• 2012

Microvascular reconstruction, in the oral and maxillofacial regions, is a widely accepted as the best way to overcome the complex oral cavity defects. Many patients requiring composite reconstructions have been treated previously with radiation therapy, chemotherapy, selective and/or functional neck dissection or any of these combinations. In many cases of these patients, inadequate neck vessels for the microanastomosis of free flap are available, due to a lack of recipient vessels in the neck, poor vessel quality or vessel caliber mismatch. To achieve a tension-free anastomosis, vein grafting must be considered to span the vessel gap between the free flap pedicle and the recipient neck vessels. Although most microsurgeons believed that interpositional grafts are to be avoided due to vessel thrombosis and increased number of necessary microanastomosis, we, authors have some confidence of equivalency between reconstruction with and without interpositional saphenous vein graft. The great saphenous vein, also known as the long saphenous vein, is the large subcutaneous superficial vein of the leg and thigh. It joins with the femoral vein in the region of femoral triangle at the saphenofemoral junction, and coursed medially to lie on the anterior surface of the thigh before entering an opening in the fascia lata, called the saphenous opening. For a better understanding of the great saphenous vein graft for the interpositional vessel graft in the oral cavity reconstructions, and an avoidance of any uneventful complications during these procedures, the related surgical anatomies with their harvesting tips are summarized in this review article in the Korean language.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.245-248
• /
• 2006

Besides gastric pull-up or colonic interposition, microvascular technique in esophageal reconstruction has been approved reliable methods. When free intestinal transfer is considered, jejunal free flap is commonly used. We treated the patient who had undergone reconstruction with a right colon interposition and suffered from inability of swallowing because of stricture and necrosis of the interposed flap. Although we have planned jejunal free transfer, we couldn't use jejunum due to adhesion by previous gastrojejunostomy and colon interposition. Salvage procedure with microvascualr free left colon flap was executed successfully. After 9 month follow-up, the patient was able to consume a normal diet.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.3-10
• /
• 2012

The free muscle-sparing transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (MS-TRAM) and deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flaps involve transferring skin and subcutaneous tissue from the lower abdominal area and have many features that make them well suited for breast reconstruction. The robust blood supply of the free flap reduces the risk of fat necrosis and also enables aggressive shaping of the flap for breast reconstruction to optimize the aesthetic outcome. In addition, the free MS-TRAM flap and DIEP flap require minimal donor-site sacrifice in most cases. With proper patient selection and safe surgical technique, the free MS-TRAM flap and DIEP flap can transfer the lower abdominal skin and subcutaneous tissue to provide an aesthetically pleasing breast reconstruction with minimal donor-site morbidity.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.126-131
• /
• 2011

Purpose: The subcutaneous pocket graft of the thumb tip amputation across or proximal to the lunula is chosen in case of impossible microvascular anastomosis and in patient who strongly desired to preserve the thumb tip after failed replantation. Materials and Methods: Two patients who underwent a subcutaneous pocket graft for a thumb tip reconstruction between August 2008 and November 2009 were reviewed retrospectively. They were all males with a mean age at the time of surgery of 48 years and had sustained complete thumb tip amputations across or proximal to the lunula. In one case, the microsurgical replantation was not feasible and the other one revealed arterial insufficiency at the 7th day after microsurgical replantation. Results: Authors had experienced 2 cases of flaps which survived completely. The results of sensibility was good, the range of motion at interphalangeal joint and tip to tip pinch was acceptable and color mismatch and loss of thumb finger nail was unacceptable after more than 1 year follow up with conventional successful thumb tip replantation. Conclusion: The subcutaneous pocket graft could be chosen in thumb tip amputation in case of impossible microvascular anastomosis as well as who strongly desires to preserve thumb tip after failed replantation.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.339-347
• /
• 1996

Prior to the advent of microvascular surgery, conventional prosthetic rehabilitation offered limited success to re-establish the physiological function in oromaxillofacial reconstruction. Microvascular surgery provided a new frontier and there are multitude of flaps. Each flap has the benefits and limitation for the application to various defects. Advantage of the scapular flaps over other reconstructive methods include the ability to design multiple cutaneous panels on a separate vascular pedicle allowing improvement in three-dimensional relationship and osseointegrated implants can be palced to restore occlusal and masticatory function. Here I present the detailed description of the important surgical anatomy as well as graft dissection and clinical application of free vascularized scapular flap.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.93-101
• /
• 2011

Reconstruction following a resection of malignant oral cavity tumors is one of the most difficult problems in recent oral oncology. The radial forearm free flap (RFFF) is a thin, pliable soft tissue flap with large-caliber vessels for microvascular anastomosis. Its additional advantages include consistent flap vascular anatomy, acceptable donor site morbidity and the ability to perform simultaneous flap harvest with a tumor resection. For a better understanding of RFFF as a routine reconstructive procedure in oral and maxillofacial surgery, the constant anatomical findings must be learned and memorized by young doctors during the special curriculum periods for the Korean national board of oral and maxillofacial surgery. This review article discusses the anatomical basis of RFFF in the Korean language.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.112-116
• /
• 2017

The ideal scalp reconstruction involves closure of the defect with similar hair-bearing local tissue in a single step. Various reconstructions can be used including primary closure, secondary healing, skin grafts, local flaps, and microvascular tissue transfer. A 53-year-old female patient suffered glioblastoma, which had recurred for the second time. The neuro-surgeons performed radial debridement and an additional resection of the tumor, followed by reconstruction using a serratus anterior muscle flap with a split-thickness skin graft. Unfortunately, the flap became completely useless and a bilateral rotation flap was used to cover the defect. Two month later, seroma with infection was found due to recurrence of the tumor. Additional surgery was performed using multiple perforator based island flap. The patient was discharged two weeks after surgery without any complications, but two months later, the patient died. Radical surgical resection of tumor is the most important curative option, followed by functional and aesthetic reconstruction. We describe a patient with a highly malignant tumor that required multiple resections and subsequent reconstruction. Repeated recurrences of the tumor led to the failure of reconstruction and our strategy inevitably changed, from reconstruction to palliative treatment involving fast and stable wound closure for the patient's comfort.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.44-48
• /
• 2000

The advent of free bone flaps has made successful replacement of extensive areas of bone loss in the upper and lower extremities. The microvascular free bone flaps have faster healing without bony absorption or atrophy and can heal in the hostile environment of scarred bed or infection. Since the fibula free flap introduced by Taylor and colleague in 1975, it has been used extensively for skeletal reconstruction of extremities. In 1988, the folded vascularized fibula free flap was first described as a technique to reconstruct significant long bone defect of upper and lower extremities. During the same time, the fibular free flap has evolved to become most preferred choice of mandibular reconstruction. Up to present day, few reports have been made on the fibular free flap used for reconstruction of injured hand containing metacarpal bone and soft tissue defect. We present here our new and unique experiences with vascularized fibular osteocutaneous free flap as useful and satisfactory one for reconstruction of hand with composite defects.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.173-180
• /
• 2013

As microvascular techniques continue to improve, perforator flap free tissue transfer is now the gold standard for autologous breast reconstruction. Various options are available for breast reconstruction with autologous tissue. These include the free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap, deep inferior epigastric perforator flap, superficial inferior epigastric artery flap, superior gluteal artery perforator flap, and transverse/vertical upper gracilis flap. In addition, pedicled flaps can be very successful in the right hands and the right patient, such as the pedicled TRAM flap, latissimus dorsi flap, and thoracodorsal artery perforator. Each flap comes with its own advantages and disadvantages related to tissue properties and donor-site morbidity. Currently, the problem is how to determine the most appropriate flap for a particular patient among those potential candidates. Based on a thorough review of the literature and accumulated experiences in the author's institution, this article provides a logical approach to autologous breast reconstruction. The algorithms presented here can be helpful to customize breast reconstruction to individual patient needs.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.47-53
• /
• 1998

Despite of technical advances in surgery & other therapeutic modalities five-year survival rates in patients with carcinoma of hypopharynx have remained low. Many techniques have been used to create a structure capable of allowing the passage of food and fluids in an attempt to maintain the anatomy and physiology of the upper digestive system. The development of microsurgical techniques and the concept of mucocutaneous unit has brought about important changes in the reconstruction of cervical esophagus following tumor resection. The one-stage procedure using microvascular anastomosis of free jejunal graft provides physiologic reconstruction of cervical esophagus and has a low morbidity rate as well as a short recuperation time. With free jejunal graft, there is marked improvement in the quality of life and numerous advantages over the previous methods of reconstruction. Reconstruction of esophageal defect after resection of carcinomas of the hypopharynx, and cervical esophagus has traditionally been carried out with deltopectoral, or musculocutaneous skin-lined flaps. A second approach is to reconstruct the defect with the colon or stomach. A more ideal mettled is to repair these defects with mucosa-lined flaps. The authors experienced 35 cases of reconstruction of cervical esophagus after resection of carcinoma of the hypopharynx with free jejunal autograft and one case of secondary repair with radial forearm free flap after failure of initial free Jejunal autograft. Postoperative results were satisfactory in most patients and two patients expired in 8 days postoperatively because of carotid blow out by chronic inflammation.