Our Clinical Algorithmic Approach for Meningomyelocele Defects Reconstruction with Fasciocutaneous Flaps.

AIM: To evaluate fasciocutaneous flaps used for reconstruction of meningomyelocele defects in our clinic and to suggest an algorithm for flap selection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 45 patients with meningomyelocele, who underwent repair with fasciocutaneous flaps, was carried out. Preoperative and postoperative photos were analyzed. The defect areas were measured by Adobe Photoshop CC. Limberg flap, bilateral Limberg flaps, bilateral bipedicled advancement flaps, bilobed flap and reading man flap were performed. RESULTS: Wound dehiscence and partial necrosis occurred in 8 patients. All wounds were managed conservatively and healed successfully. No other complications were observed. The mean defect size for all patients was 36 cm². The mean defect size was 45.3 cm² in bilateral bipedicled flaps cases; 33.5 cm² in bilateral Limberg flaps cases; and 19.6 cm² in the unilateral Limberg flap cases. According to the algorithm, a unilateral Limberg flap or bilobed flap or reading man flap can be used for the defects smaller than 25 cm²; bilateral Limberg flaps can be used for the defects between 25 and 35 cm²; and bilateral bipedicled advancement flaps can be used for the defects larger than 35 cm². CONCLUSION: Fasciocutaneous flaps can be preferred in meningomyelocele defect reconstruction due to the easy planning of flaps, easy and fast flap elevation, and low complication rates due to their reliable circulation. The measurement of the defect area allows this algorithm selecting a flap in a more practical way.

Reconstruction of Hair-Bearing Areas.

Hair-bearing areas reconstruction is a difficult field because of limited donor area. Various techniques have been described for hair-bearing areas reconstruction, but the choice of the flap is variable depending on surgeons and patients. In this study, the authors present 7 patients who underwent soft tissue reconstruction with the pedicled superficial temporal artery-based flaps in the hair-bearing areas. No postoperative complications like bleeding, flap congestion, wound dehiscence, and flap necrosis were observed. This flap can be an alternative to the other methods because it is compatible with the face by the flap color and thickness, it can be easily harvested, it has a reliable circulation and minimum donor site scar.

Lower Face Reconstruction Using the Visor Flap.

We present an alternative method instead of classical methods for lower face reconstruction in this study involving clinical experiences. We aimed to achieve more esthetic and functional results using visor flap. This flap has been used for the reconstruction of lower lip and submental region in two patients. Satisfactory functional and cosmetic outcomes were obtained in patients. Flaps and donor sides healed with no complications. The hair follicles on the flap continued to grow in new locations. The visor flap is a useful alternative method for lower face reconstruction. This technique offers perfect color and texture matching and hair growth.

Prelaminated calvarial osteofascial flap for palatal reconstruction.

Reconstruction of the hard palate defects is among the most challenging problems for plastic surgeons. Prosthetic obturations and local flaps for small defects have been used, whereas numerous regional and free flaps have been described for larger defects. The search for the ideal method offering a natural palatal structure is still ongoing. Five male patients with a mean age of 30.4 years experiencing hard palate defects due to congenital cleft palate or tumor excisions were repaired by prelaminated calvarial osteofascial flap. The mean defect size was 3.14 × 2.48 cm. Both of the surfaces of the calvarial bone elevated with superficial temporal fascia were wrapped with fascia and covered with split-thickness skin graft. The interval between the 2 sessions ranged from 3 to 6 weeks. In the second session, triple layered reconstruction involving the bony layer as well as the oral and nasal mucosa was performed. In 1 case, partial skin loss on the oral surface of the flap was seen in the second session but epithelialized spontaneously. The mean follow-up period was 21.8 months, and no complication such as wound detachment, infection, flap loss, as well as fistula or nasal regurgitation was encountered. A hard palatal reconstruction was performed, offering a natural anatomy in terms of structure and shape. This reliable technique, which is convenient for the three-dimensional reconstruction of the hard palate defects offering a near-normal anatomy owing to its triple layered structure, thickness, and the compatible shape of the calvarial bone to the palate, can be a good alternative against other regional and free flaps.

A novel flap for the reconstruction of midcheek defects: "rabbit ear flap".

Cheek defects generally occur because of reasons such as trauma, burn, and tumor excisions. In the reconstruction of cheek defects, it is essential to cover the defects using the tissues with compatible color and similar texture. Although many techniques have been described for this purpose, local flaps are more likely to be used.In this study, we describe a new technique named "rabbit ear flap," which we used for the reconstruction of a 4.5 × 7-cm cheek defect due to basal cell carcinoma excision in a 71-year-old male patient. Two separate flaps on the extension of right facial artery with an inferior pedicle on the nasolabial region (hairless skin) and a superior pedicle flap that extended from right oral commissure to the submandibular region (hairy skin) were used. The hairy skin part of the defect was closed via the hairy skin flap, whereas the hairless region was closed with the hairless skin flap. The donor sites were closed primarily.No complication was encountered in the early or long-term follow-ups. In the 28-month follow-up of the patient, it was observed that the color and texture compatibility was fine, the natural beard integrity was obtained, the donor site scarring was minimal, and the scarring was camouflaged well in the anatomical lines.This technique is supposed to be an alternative method for reconstruction of medium-sized cheek defects because it is a simple, reliable, and single-session procedure, and because of its similar color and texture, it offers satisfactory aesthetic and functional outcomes due to natural beard restoration.

Effects of verapamil, nifedipine, and daflon on the viability of reverse-flow island flaps in rats.

Reverse-flow flaps are preferable in reconstructive surgery due to their several advantages. However, they may have venous insufficiency and poor blood flow. In this study, effects of various pharmacological agents on the viability of reverse-flow flaps were investigated. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Superficial epigastric artery- and superficial epigastric vein-based reverse-flow island flaps were preferred. The rats were divided into 4 groups. Group 1 was considered as the control group. Group 2 was given verapamil 0.3 mg/kg per day, group 3 nifedipine 0.5 mg/kg per day, and group 4 Daflon 80 mg/kg per day for 7 days. On day 7, viable flap areas were measured, angiography was performed, serum nitric oxide levels were evaluated, and histopathological examination was done.The mean flap viability rate was 67.59% (±13.12259) in group 1, 77.38% (±4.12506) in group 2, 74.57% (±3.44780) in group 3, and 85.39% (±4.36125) in group 4 (P = 0.001). The mean nitric oxide level was 31.66 µmol/dL (±2.42212) in group 1, 51.00 µmol/dL (±2.96648) in group 2, 34.00 µmol/dL (±2.96648) in group 3, and 47.66 µmol/dL (±2.80476) in group 4 (P = 0.001). On angiography, there were vessel dilations and convolutions in group 2; capillaries became noticeable, and anastomotic vessels extended toward the more distal part of the flaps in group 4. Histological examinations showed severe inflammation in group 3 and minimal inflammation and venous vasodilatation in group 2.Verapamil and Daflon in therapeutic doses significantly increased the viability of reverse-flow island flaps. However, nifedipine did not make a significant contribution to the flap viability. The results of this study will contribute to the literature about the hemodynamics of reverse-flow island flaps and guide further studies on the issue.

Double-skin paddled superficial temporofascial flap for the reconstruction of full-thickness cheek defect.

The most common causes of cheek defects include trauma, burn, and tumor resections. In the reconstruction of the defects in this region, it is essential to use similar or adjacent tissue considering the aesthetic and functional properties. For this purpose, numerous local, regional, or distant free flaps were described. The local flaps harvested from the head and neck region are the most frequent methods because of the similar skin color, texture, and compatibility with cheek.In this study, the reconstruction in a 29-year-old male patient who had a full-thickness cheek defect due to tumor resection on the left side was performed, wherein a hairless skin island was carried through the frontal branch of superficial temporal artery for oral mucosa, and a hairy skin island through the parietal branch of the same pedicle was carried for the bearded skin defect. No complication occurred postoperatively and both aesthetic and functional satisfactory results were obtained, providing the oral mucosal and natural beard integrity. Donor-site scarring and temporal alopecia were recorded as the disadvantages of this method.This technique is a useful method for the reconstruction of full-thickness cheek defects because of its advantages including compatibility of color and texture, reliable blood supply, requiring single-session procedure, and being able to carry 2 different skin islands on the same pedicle.

[Effectiveness of early fasciotomy in the management of snakebites]. / Erken fasyotominin yilan isiriklari tedavisindeki etkinligi.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to emphasize that early fasciotomy performed in the treatment of snakebites in the absence of the classic compartment syndrome criteria accelerates the clinical recovery and reduces the progressive tissue damage. METHODS: Fourteen patients with snakebite were examined retrospectively. Five of them healed with routine treatments. Six patients who did not respond to the treatment underwent early fasciotomy procedure in 48 hours. All of the patients had edema, pain, ecchymosis, bulla formation, and progressive skin necrosis over the extremity. Fasciotomy was performed in three patients who were referred in the late period with compartment syndrome. Fasciotomy incisions were closed after 4-6 days. RESULTS: After the early fasciotomy, edema diminished rapidly, the skin became more viable and local necrosis did not progress. Further, the toxic symptoms like local temperature increase and fever also diminished. The healing process in the three patients who underwent late fasciotomy was much slower compared with the early fasciotomy group. In particular, necrosis on the muscle and skin had deteriorated. CONCLUSION: Fasciotomy has a special place in snakebites. In cases of compartment syndrome, all necessary treatments including early fasciotomy should be performed before the full clinical symptoms develop or the compartment pressure reaches the threshold value.

Nasal tip contouring using lower lateral cartilages.

Nasal tip management is the most important and challenging part of rhinoplasty surgery. For nasal tip management, optimal nasal tip projection and rotation must be maintained. For this reason, several methods have been developed to obtain optimal results. In this article, we share with the rhinoplasty surgeons how we use cartilage grafts for nasal tip projection, nasal tip shaping, and maintaining natural and symmetric appearance and avoid "visible cartilage" problem by using a simple and easily applicable method. After performing standard open rhinoplasty techniques, we used the cephalic portion of the lower lateral cartilages to overgraft the already placed numerous layers of shield or onlay grafts. All the cartilage grafts are sutured in their place to prevent malpositions or undesired angularities. We operated on 1480 patients between September of 2002 and September of 2009 for rhinoplasty. Ages of the patients range from 18 to 58 years with nasal tip ptosis. We performed 1235 primary rhinoplasties and 245 secondary rhinoplasties. Of 365 patients, who were followed up regularly, 330 (approximately 90%) were operated on according to this technique and were included in the study. By using such an overgrafting technique for nasal tip, we obtained satisfactory results both by the patients and by the surgeons. Satisfactory results and being a facilitating method for shaping of nasal tip are the advantages of this technique.

Supraorbital artery island flap for periorbital defects.

The forehead skin has the same color and texture as the periorbital region as well as the other parts of the face. The forehead is a local flap donor area for the reconstruction of full-thickness periorbital defects. This report presents eight cases in which full-thickness defects resulting from tumor resection have been repaired with supraorbital artery island flaps. Of eight patients, one was female and the rest were male with a mean age of 72.8 years (range, 64-88 years). Defects were located in the medial canthal region, lateral canthal region, glabella, and lateral part of the orbita. The flaps ranged from 2 x 3 cm to 6 x 7 cm in size. The patients were followed for 7 to 18 months. No complications occurred, except for decreased sensation on the forehead, and trapdoor deformity was seen in one case. The outcome was functionally and aesthetically satisfactory in all cases and all patients were happy with the outcome. The supraorbital artery island flap is a good alternative for the repair of defects around the orbita in that the color and texture of this flap match up with the orbital region and that it is pliable, simple, safe, and sensorial and requires only a single-session procedure.

Reconstruction of saddle nose deformity with three-dimensional costal cartilage graft.

Saddle nose deformity is characterized by depression of the nasal bone and the cartilage dorsum associated with a collapse in the upper lateral and alar cartilages. Etiopathogenesis usually involves trauma or invasive excision of the bone and cartilage. Surgical treatment for functional and aesthetic recovery relies on the use of grafts. Options for grafting include autogenous tissue such as bone or cartilage and alloplastic augmentation. Nine patients with saddle nose deformity underwent surgical reconstruction with autogenous costal cartilage. The deformity was the result of trauma in seven patients and secondary to surgery in two patients. Cartilage obtained from the sixth and seventh ribs was used as the graft material to compensate for the low nasal dorsum. Cartilage was used as a single unit and shaped to cover the nasal dorsum and the lateral nasal walls completely. The upper lateral cartilages were fixed to shaped cartilage graft. Additional cartilage grafts into the columella and septum were also placed in all patients. Functional and aesthetic outcome was satisfactory in all patients. As a result, using costal cartilage graft, a single unit allowed more predictable and reliable reconstruction of the saddle nose deformity than the conventional dorsal grafts.

A comparative study on superior auricular artery island flaps with various pedicles for repair of periorbital defects.

Superior auricular artery (SAA) island flaps elevated from the retroauricular region have perfect color, thickness, and texture match with facial skin. In this article, reconstruction of periorbital defects with SAA island flaps is presented. Flaps were categorized into three types because they were elevated on three different pedicles. A type 1 flap was a superficial temporal vessel pedicled SAA island flap with antegrade blood flow. A type 2 flap was a reverse flow SAA island flap based on the frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery (STA). A type 3 flap was a reverse flow SAA island flap based on the parietal branch of STA. Fourteen patients (9 females and 5 males) aged between 31 years and 74 years were treated with these flaps. Two patients with lower eyelid, two patients with upper eyelid, three patients with malar, two patients with infraorbital, one patient with lateral canthal upper eyelid, and four patients with forehead defects underwent surgical intervention. Sizes of the flaps varied between 3x6 cm and 8x6 cm. Venous congestion was observed in all patients in the early postoperative period and lasted for 5 to 9 (mean, 6.6) days in type 1 flap, 5 to 9 (mean, 6.7) days in type 2 flap, and 2 to 5 (mean, 3.6) days in type 3 flap. Apart from distal necrosis of 1x1 cm in one patient and superficial dermal sloughing in two patients, no complications were encountered. Aesthetically and functionally successful results with minimal donor site morbidity were obtained in all patients during the 2 to 22 (mean 10.8) month follow-up period.

Reconstruction of orbital floor and maxilla with divided vascularised calvarial bone flap in one session.

We present four cases which underwent reconstruction of orbital floor and anterior maxillary wall with a vascularised bone flap following partial maxillectomy. After tumour resections, superficial temporal artery (STA) and vein based calvarial bone flaps from the outer tabula were prepared. Without disrupting the integrity of fascia and periosteum, the bone was separated into two segments in the same direction as the blood flow and one is 3 cm and the other 5 cm. The two bone segments were transferred as one single flap and one segment of the flap was used to reconstruct the orbital floor and the other for reconstruction of the anterior maxillary wall. Since two cases had large skin defects, lateral frontal skin to which the frontal branch of the STA supplies blood was incorporated into the flaps. Functional and aesthetic results were satisfactory at the end of 8-20 months follow-up. This technique allowed reconstruction of the orbital floor and anterior maxillary wall and even skin defects with a single pedicled flap in one session.

A novel flap to repair medial and lateral malleolar defects: anterior tibial artery perforator-based adipofascial flap.

Soft tissue coverage of the ankle is a difficult challenge. The adipofascial flap based on perforators of the anterior tibial artery was harvested from the dorsum of the foot and used for repairing of soft tissue defects either on the lateral or medial malleolar region in 7 patients. Two medial and 5 lateral malleolar defects were covered using the flap described. The size of flaps varied from 3.5 x 10 cm to 4.5 x 12 cm. All flaps had good perfusion and survived completely. Donor-site morbidity was minimal in all cases. Both functional and esthetical results were satisfactory. Because of thin and pliable features, this flap is suitable for repair of defects around the ankle region. In addition, donor-site morbidity of this flap is minimal, with an acceptable scar hidden in the shoe-wearing area.

A congenital isolated alar cleft.

Alar rim defects are mostly acquired, resulting from burns, traumas, or tumor excision. Sometimes they can accompany craniofacial clefts. However, isolated congenital alar defects are extremely rare. The authors present a case of congenital isolated alar cleft.

Examination of the skin perforators of the posterior tibial artery on the leg and the ankle region and their clinical use.

BACKGROUND: There are many treatment alternatives for reconstruction of leg and foot defects. One of these treatment alternatives includes local flaps. A detailed understanding of the blood flow of the leg region is essential for producing new alternatives for the reconstruction of defects of this region. METHODS: The leg and foot region blood flow was examined on 11 fresh cadavers, and perforators of this region were examined in three zones. Perforator numbers and their diameters were defined at this region. It was determined in cadaver studies that especially zones I and II were more suitable for the planned flaps based on perforators of the posterior tibial artery. In a clinical study that accompanies this anatomical study, eight patients underwent reconstruction by flaps based on the perforators of the posterior tibial artery. RESULTS: Patients were followed for 3 to 14 months. In three patients, venous drainage problems had developed, and in one of them, partial flap loss had developed. This partially necrosed region was left to heal by secondary intention. Venous drainage problems resolved in 5 to 7 days in the two remaining patients. No other complications were seen. CONCLUSION: Regarding the results of the clinical study, the authors observed that this flap can provide the desired soft-tissue support for defects that expose the bones, tendons, and neural and vascular bundles.

Effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on survival of axial pattern flaps in rats with ischaemia-reperfusion injuries.

Oxygen-derived free radicals have been implicated in the pathogenesis of tissue injury after ischaemia-reperfusion. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), an active ingredient of honeybee propolis, has been identified as having potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We evaluated the ability of CAPE applied intraperitoneally in reducing tissue injury after ischaemia-reperfusion. To investigate whether treatment with CAPE modifies the concentrations of the endogenous indices of oxidant stress, we examined its effects on a model of flap ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats. CAPE (10 micromol/kg) was given through the peritoneum before reperfusion. CAPE given intraperitoneally had an inhibitory effect on tissue injury after ischaemia-reperfusion comparable to that of a control group. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of CAPE may contribute to its suppression of tissue injury.

A new approach to retroauricular flap transfer: parietal branch-based reverse flow superior auricular artery island flap.

The retroauricular region provides adequate tissue of excellent color and texture match for the reconstruction of small- and medium-sized facial defects. In this study, parietal branch of the superficial temporal artery (STA) was used as the pedicle for the retroauricular island flap. Anastomoses between the parietal branch of STA, occipital artery, and contralateral STA were observed to deliver adequate nutritional blood supply to the flap. Total upper eyelid defect in 1 case, malar defect in 1 case, and forehead defects of various sizes in 4 cases were included in our study. Sizes of the flaps varied from 4 x 4.5 cm to 6 x 8 cm (mean 4.7 x 6.6 cm). All cases had venous congestion for 2-4 days (mean 3.4 days). Only 1 case experienced a superficial dermal necrosis of 1 x 3 cm in size in the distal part of the flap. Esthetic and functional results were satisfactory during the 1- to 14-month (mean 7) follow-up period. This flap is thought to be advantageous for the repair of defects and traumas of the forehead and upper eyelid as the pedicle does not develop torsion and dissection is easy.