BACKGROUND A soft tissue defect requiring flap cover which is longer than that provided by the conventional "long" free flaps like latissimus dorsi (LD) and anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap is a challenging problem. Often, in such a situation, a combination of flaps is required. Over the last 3 years, we have managed nine such defects successfully with a free "Boomerang-shaped" Extended Rectus Ab...

RATIONALE A 54-year-old Taiwanese male came to our hospital presented with right retromolar mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Composite resection and right modified radical neck dissection were performed. We then use free anteral lateral thigh flap to reconstruct the defect. However, venous congestion was found 32 h after the surgery. PATIENT CONCERNS The main concerns of the patient is complete salv...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcomes of free flap reconstruction for advanced osteoradionecrosis (ORN) defects and develop an algorithm to guide surgical planning. METHODS All cases involving free flap reconstruction for ORN of the mandible between 1998 and 2008 were reviewed. A defect classification scheme was developed. Flap selection and outcomes were analyzed and ...

Background Previous surgery or slim body configuration can limit the size of the available abdominal flap in autologous breast reconstruction. However, redundant skin and subcutaneous tissue lateral to the mastectomy site can be utilized as the pedicled lateral intercostal artery perforator (LICAP) flap. This study evaluates the combination of a free abdominal flap and a pedicled LICAP flap to ...

UNLABELLED Breast reconstruction after mastectomy is primarily carried out to improve the patients' quality of life. The most commonly used autologous tissue for reconstruction is the transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap (TRAM). The TRAM flap could be transferred either as pedicled or a free flap with microvascular anastomosis. The following work was carried out to evaluate the two...

Introduction: Malignant tumors of the parotid gland account scarcely for 5% of all head and neck tumors. Most of these neoplasms have a high tendency for recurrence, local infiltration, perineural extension, and metastasis. Although uncommon, these malignant tumors require complex surgical treatment sometimes involving a total parotidectomy including a complete facial nerve resection. Severe fu...

PURPOSE Until now patients with bladder acontractility were destined to lifelong clean intermittent catheterization with all of its inherent risks. Previous experimental studies demonstrated that voluntary voiding can be restored by microneurovascular free transfer of a carefully selected muscle flap. We present the selection criteria, modifications in technique, followup schedule and long-term...

Neurovascular coupling refers to the relationship between neuronal activities and downstream hemodynamic responses. Photoacoustic tomography (PAT), enabling comprehensive label-free imaging of hemodynamic activities with highly scalable penetration and spatial resolution, has great potential in the study of neurovascular coupling. In this review, we first introduce the technical basis of hemody...

METHODS: Mongrel female dogs (17.4±2.2 kg) were assigned to control (n=3) and treatment group (n=11). Bilateral gracilis muscles were dissected and detached from proximal and distal insertions with neurovascular pedicles, and transferred to pubic area as bilateral cavernosa. The urethra was reconstructed by scrolling the skin attached to the left gracilis flap. The outer layer of the penis was ...

Three amputated thumbs were reconstructed with a composite osteocutaneous groin flap and a neurovascular island flap. The average age at the time of surgery was 28 (range 25-35) years. The level of the amputation was distal to metacarpophalangeal joint in two cases and proximal in one case. The injury mechanism was avulsion in all cases. The postoperative follow-up periods ranged from 27 to 30 ...