Open Access
CC BY-NC 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2014; 41(02): 148-152
DOI: 10.5999/aps.2014.41.2.148
Original Article

Free Flap Reconstruction of Head and Neck Defects after Oncologic Ablation: One Surgeon's Outcomes in 42 Cases

Yun Sub Lim
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea
,
Jun Sik Kim
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea
,
Nam Gyun Kim
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea
,
Kyung Suk Lee
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea
,
Jae Hoon Choi
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea
,
Sang Woo Park
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Changwon Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea
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Background Free flap surgery for head and neck defects has gained popularity as an advanced microvascular surgical technique. The aims of this study are first, to determine whether the known risk factors such as comorbidity, tobacco use, obesity, and radiation increase the complications of a free flap transfer, and second, to identify the incidence of complications in a radial forearm free flap and an anterolateral thigh perforator flap.

Methods We reviewed the medical records of patients with head and neck cancer who underwent reconstruction with free flap between May 1994 and May 2012 at our department of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Results The patients included 36 men and 6 women, with a mean age of 59.38 years. The most common primary tumor site was the tongue (38%). The most commonly used free flap was the radial forearm free flap (57%), followed by the anterolateral thigh perforator free flap (22%). There was no occurrence of free flap failure. In this study, risk factors of the patients did not increase the occurrence of complications. In addition, no statistically significant differences in complications were observed between the radial forearm free flap and anterolateral thigh perforator free flap.

Conclusions We could conclude that the risk factors of the patient did not increase the complications of a free flap transfer. Therefore, the risk factors of patients are no longer a negative factor for a free flap transfer.



Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 14. Mai 2013

Angenommen: 20. August 2013

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
02. Mai 2022

© 2014. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, permitting unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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