TY  - JOUR
TI  - Free Flap Reconstruction of the Head and Neck
Region: A Series of 127 Flaps Performed by
Otolaryngologists
AB  - Objective: To determine flap success rate and complications in patients who underwent
microvascular free tissue reconstruction after major head and neck ablative surgery and to report
the improvement in the results.
Methods: Medical records of 124 patients who were operated on in 2012 to 2019 were
retrospectively reviewed. Indications for different free flap types, success rates and re-exploration
rates, donor site morbidities, and reasons for flap loss were analyzed. Patients were divided into
two groups to identify the effects of the anticoagulant and the antiaggregant treatments on
postoperative results.
Results: There were 127 flaps in 124 patients, including two different free flaps each in three
patients that were harvested and used in the same surgical session. Of the total 127 flaps, 82
(64.6%) were radial forearm flaps, 39 (30.7%) were fibula flaps, and 6 (4.7) were rectus abdominis
flaps. Four patients were re-explored for flap perfusion problems, and 18 patients were re-explored
for hematoma drainage (n=22/124, %17.3). The rate of hematoma and re-exploration was higher
in patients who received anticoagulant and antiaggregant treatments synchronously (p=0.02).
Three flaps were lost, and the overall success rate was 97.6%. Two patients died from perioperative
complications. No major complications were observed at the donor site; minor complications were
observed in 30 patients.
Conclusion: The success rate for the 127 flaps in 124 patients were found comparable to
those reported in the literature. These results show that successful outcomes can be achieved
with experience and a head and neck team dedicated to improving the results in microsurgical
reconstruction, and flap failure rarely occurs if perioperative care of the patients is given
meticulously.
AU  - ASLAN, İsmet
AU  - ÜNSALER, SELİN
AU  - Kesimli, Mustafa Caner
AU  - Başaran, Bora
DO  - 10.4274/tao.2021.2021-1-9
PY  - 2021
JO  - Turkish archives of otorhinolaryngology 
VL  - 59
IS  - 2
SN  - 2667-7466
SP  - 103
EP  - 110
DB  - TRDizin
UR  - http://search/yayin/detay/508968
ER  -