A new approach of crenellated fronto-orbital advancement for the management of trigonocephaly: Technical note.

Trigonocephaly is a craniosynostosis characterized by a premature fusion of the metopic suture associating a characteristic triangular head shape, with a frontal medial crest and hypotelorism. Various techniques have been described for its surgical treatment which is usually performed during the first year of life. However, there might be cases with a late referral, after the age of one year. One of the technical issues with a fronto-orbital advancement surgery in a child over one year of age is that there is a significant risk of persistent residual bone defects. This article describes a surgical technique of crenellated fronto-orbital advancement for correcting trigonocephaly in children over one year of age, allowing to reduce residual bone defects.

Posterior auricular artery helix root free flap-part I: radio-anatomical study.

Full-thickness defects of the distal nose are an ongoing surgical challenge. Among the available techniques, pre-auricular chondrocutaneous free flaps based on the superficial temporal artery (STA) have good aesthetic and functional outcomes. However they often require autologous venous grafts. The aim of this radio-anatomical study was to evaluate the feasibility of the helix root free flap based on the posterior auricular artery (PAA). Vascular lengths, diameters, and networks were investigated in flaps harvested from cadavers. The perfusion of the flaps was studied by injecting patent blue. Some flaps were also injected with contrast agent and studied by angiography and computed tomography. Ten flaps from seven fresh cadavers were dissected and analysed. The mean length of the PAA was 114.2 mm and the mean diameter was 2.2 mm. Perfusion was investigated in six flaps and considered good in three of these. The study results demonstrate the feasibility of PAA-based helix root free flaps. This alternative technique provides an 11 cm pedicle with vessels of appropriate calibre, facilitating any potential microsurgery. The scar is mostly hidden behind the ear. This PAA-based helix root free flap could be a reliable and promising single-stage procedure to repair complex defects of the alae nasi.

Posterior auricular artery helix root free flap-part II: clinical application.

The surgical repair of full-thickness defects involving the alae nasi is complex. Pedicle flaps such as frontal and nasolabial flaps can be used, but require several interventions with different techniques. In contrast, free flaps from the foot of the ear helix allow the three layers of the nasal wings to be reconstructed in a single operation. Nevertheless, in the classical approach, the vascular pedicle is short. Although some authors have proposed raising the flap in a retrograde manner, this still yields a relatively short pedicle with narrow vessels. In the companion paper, we demonstrated that a posterior auricular artery helix root free flap (PAAHF) can be harvested from the posterior auricular vessels, thus increasing the useful pedicle length. The case of a patient with basal cell carcinoma of the left ala is presented here. A right helix root free flap was anastomosed with the facial vessels at the left mandibular notch. This new flap overcomes the main limitation of the classical helix root flap, namely the length of the pedicle. It has all of the morphological qualities of the classical flap, but with simpler vascular assembly, since autologous venous grafts and complex anastomoses are not required.

Mandibular angle resection using cervicofacial lifting surgical approach: Technical note.

Facial feminization surgery brings a set of surgical procedures that address the three thirds of the face and aims to give feminine characteristics to a masculine face. The characteristics of the lower third of a male face are a long, broad chin, a prominent mandible with sharp angles (in connection with the insertions of the masseter muscles). Mandibular angle reduction is an important procedure of the male-to-female transformation. It allows to modify the appearance of the lower third of the face, reducing the bi-mandibular distance in the coronal plane and opening the mandibular angle in profile. The classical procedure uses trans-oral surgical approach. However, patients undergoing male-to-female sexual transformation frequently present a mixed indication of cervicofacial lift and angular resection. We present an innovative surgical technique associating cervicofacial lifting and mandibular angle resection using the same cutaneous surgical approach. We describe its advantages and discuss its disadvantages.