Microsurgical Reconstruction of the Columella.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, the columella can be difficult to reconstruct because of its unique contours, paucity of adjacent soft tissues, and tenuous vascularity. When local or regional tissues are unavailable, microsurgical transfer can provide a means for reconstruction. In this retrospective review, the authors report their experience with microsurgical reconstruction of the columella. METHODS: Seventeen patients were enrolled in this study and divided into two groups: group 1, isolated columella defects; and group 2, defects of the columella and portions of adjacent soft tissues. RESULTS: There were 10 patients in group 1. Their average age was 41.2 years. Average follow-up was 10.1 years. Causes of the columellar defects included trauma, complication of nasal reconstruction, and complication of rhinoplasty. The first dorsal metacarpal artery flap was used in seven cases, and the radial forearm flap was used in five. Two flap losses were salvaged with a second free flap. The average number of surgical revisions was 1.5. In group 2, there were seven patients with an average follow-up of 10.1 years. Causes of the columella defects included cocaine injury, carcinoma, and complication of rhinoplasty. The average number of surgical revisions was 3.3. The radial forearm flap was used in all cases. There were no flap losses. All 17 cases in this series were brought to a successful conclusion. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' experience shows that microsurgical reconstruction of the columella provides a reliable and aesthetic means for reconstruction. This technique avoids the facial disfigurement and visible scarring that often accompany use of local flaps. In addition, microsurgical flaps can be preformed "off site," which may provide certain advantages in selected cases. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

The First Dorsal Metacarpal Artery Free Flap for Salvage of Nasal Reconstructions.

ABSTRACT: The first dorsal metacarpal artery free flap is widely known for its use as a pedicled flap in thumb and hand reconstruction; however, its potential for use as a free flap is less well known. We previously described successful use of the first dorsal metacarpal artery free flap for salvage of a subtotal nasal reconstruction. In this retrospective study, we have expanded our experience to 7 consecutive cases in which a FDMFF was utilized to salvage a nasal reconstruction. Single island flaps were used in 6 of 7 cases, in one case a double island configuration was utilized. Sites restored included the columella (5 patients), membranous septum (1 patient), and nasal sidewall (1 patient). Vascular repairs were to the angular artery and vein (2 patients) or the vascular pedicle of a prior free flap (5 patients). There were no flap failures or major complications. The dorsal hand donor sites were uniformly closed using full-thickness skin grafts. All of the salvage nasal reconstructions were brought to a successful completion. Donor site morbidity was minimal with no compromise in hand function noted. Owing to its thinness, consistent anatomy, ease of harvest, and minimal donor site morbidity, the FDMFF has proved to be a very useful flap for restoration of small, but critical, nasal defects arising during the course of nasal reconstruction.

Subtotal Nasal Reconstruction Using a Custom 3-Dimensional Porous Polyethylene Construct.

Subtotal loss of the nose is a devastating occurrence. Traditional approaches to reconstruction have employed techniques that sequentially restore the nasal lining, support and external cover using autologous tissues. The results can be quite variable and are heavily weighted on surgical experience and expertise. We report a case of subtotal nasal reconstruction using a computer generated, 3-D printed porous polyethylene (PPE) scaffold. The patient is a 64-year-old man who presented with a sub-total nasal defect following excision of recurrent basal cell carcinoma. The missing parts comprised the distal half of the composite nose including the nasal floor and lining. The replacement nose was constructed on the patient's right radial forearm. A computer generated PPE nasal scaffold was prelaminated with a forearm flap for lining and a free temporal fascial flap and skin graft for external cover. Following healing, nostrils were created and the nasal construct was then microsurgically transferred to the face. At 18 months post-op, the reconstructed nose has remained stable and functional with excellent aesthetic appearance. The implications for use of 3-D scaffolds for composite nasal reconstruction are enormous.

Current Practices in the Management of Postoperative Arterial Vasospasm in Microsurgery.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative microvascular arterial vasospasm is a rare clinical entity. There are no published management algorithms and also the pathophysiology of this phenomenon has not been elucidated. METHODS: An email survey of American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM) and World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (WSRM) members regarding their experiences with postoperative arterial vasospasm was conducted, returning 116 responses. A comprehensive literature search was conducted regarding the current body of knowledge on this entity. RESULTS: Sixty-five percent of respondents encountered cases where postoperative arterial vasospasm was clearly the cause of flap ischemia. The majority (62%) of surgeons believed a damaged segment of the artery was responsible for the spasm, with technical issues cited as the most likely cause. Sixty-two percent and 50% of surgeons used segmental resection of the recipient and donor vessels, respectively.Rated for proclivity to vasospasm, superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA) was the flap, superior thyroid artery (STA) the recipient vessel, and the lower limb the anatomic region most frequently mentioned.Most widely used management strategies were: topical vasodilators (91%), adventitial stripping (82%), and dilation of recipient and donor vessels (76%). Over 50% of surgeons used some type of vessel resection technique. CONCLUSIONS: When flap ischemia is encountered without mechanical issues or thrombus, vasospasm can be the root cause. Certain vessels (SIEA, STA) and anatomic regions (lower limb) pose a higher risk for this phenomenon. When a vessel is affected, it is common practice to excise the questionable segment and use a graft as needed. Vessel resection as part of a multimodal approach can result in a reasonable salvage rate.

Nasal Unit Transplantation: A Cadaveric Anatomical Feasibility Study.

Background The science and technical acumen in the field of vascularized composite allotransplantation has progressed rapidly over the past 15 years, and transplantation of specialized units of the face, such as the nose, appears possible. No study to date has evaluated the technical feasibility of isolated nasal unit transplantation (NUT). In this study, we explore the anatomy and technical specifics of NUT. Methods In this study, four fresh cadaver heads were studied. Bilateral vascular pedicle dissections were performed in each cadaver. The facial artery was cannulated and injected with food dye under physiologic pressure in two cadavers, and with lead oxide mixture in two cadavers to evaluate perfusion territories supplied by each vascular pedicle. Results The facial artery and vein were found to be adequate pedicles for NUT. Divergent courses of the vein and artery were consistently identified, which made for a bulky pedicle with necessary inclusion of large amounts of subcutaneous tissue. In all cases, the artery remained superficial, while the vein coursed in a deeper plane, and demonstrated consistent anastomoses with the superior transverse orbital arcade. While zinc oxide injection of the facial artery demonstrated filling of the nasal vasculature across the midline, dye perfusion studies suggested that unilateral arterial inflow may be insufficient to perfuse contralateral NUT components. Discrepancies in these two studies underscore the limitations of nondynamic assessment of nutritive perfusion. Conclusion NUT based on the facial artery and facial vein is technically feasible. Angiosome evaluation suggests that bilateral pedicle anastomoses may be required to ensure optimal perfusion.

Microsurgery in the hypercoagulable patient: review of the literature.

Improved techniques in microvascular surgery over the last several decades have led to the increased use of free tissue transfers as a mode of reconstructing difficult problems with a high success rate. However, undiagnosed thrombophilias have been associated with microsurgery free flap failures. We present a case of successful free tissue transfer in a patient with lupus anticoagulant and review the literature.

Epidermal overgrafting improves coloration in remote flaps and grafts applied to the face for reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Flaps and grafts applied to the face from sites below the clavicles are mismatched with regard to their coloration compared with normal facial skin. The color can be improved by removing the epidermis and overgrafting with a thin, split-thickness skin graft of scalp epidermis. This report reviews the authors' clinical experience using this technique. METHODS: A retrospective review of 15 consecutive patients who underwent scalp epidermal overgrafting of flaps and grafts to the face from July 1, 1995, through January 1, 2006, was performed. The resulting color was compared with the adjacent facial skin using a digital scale color analysis. Results were subjected to a Wilcoxon signed rank test. Scalp donor sites were evaluated for hair growth and density. RESULTS: Postoperative graft color analysis revealed significant improvement in graft/flap coloration compared with preoperative values. Evaluation of the scalp donor sites revealed no evidence of scarring, hair thinning, or hair loss. There have been no complications to date. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to demonstrate the feasibility of altering the coloration of flaps and grafts applied from remote body sites to the face using epidermal overgrafting from the scalp in Caucasian patients. Significant improvement in coloration in the treated areas compared with the adjacent facial skin has been demonstrated by this technique. The authors believe that epidermal overgrafting is a useful adjunct for enhancing color aesthetics in facial reconstruction and may well lower the threshold for use of remote flaps and grafts previously ignored because of poor color match.

Barbed sutures: a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Despite substantial mention in the popular press, there is little in the plastic surgery or dermatology literature regarding the safety, efficacy, longevity, or complications of barbed suture suspension procedures. The authors review the literature to estimate several clinical parameters pertaining to barbed thread suspensions. METHODS: The authors performed a MEDLINE search using the keywords "barbed and suture," "thread and suspension," "Aptos," "Featherlift," and "Contour Thread." RESULTS: The authors identified six studies that met their criteria of addressing midface elevation with barbed thread suspension. These detected some adverse events, but most of these were minor, self-limited, and of short duration. Less clear are the data on the extent of the peak correction and the longevity of effect. Objective outcome measures and long-term follow-up data were not provided in a systematic manner in the few available studies. CONCLUSIONS: Suspension of the aging face with barbed sutures offers the promise of a minimally invasive technique with diminished adverse events. The technique is in its infancy, but it has potential to be a useful and effective clinical tool as further innovations are made in the clinic and laboratory.

Optimal use of microvascular free flaps, cartilage grafts, and a paramedian forehead flap for aesthetic reconstruction of the nose and adjacent facial units.

BACKGROUND: Facial reconstruction with only free microvascular flaps has rarely produced an aesthetic result. Menick stated, "Distant skin always appears as a mismatched patch within residual normal facial skin." In addition, earlier techniques using a single large nasal lining flap or bilateral nasal lining vaults incurred a high incidence of airway obstruction. METHODS: The authors describe 10 consecutive patients requiring reconstruction of the nasal vestibule and columella lining from October of 1997 through May of 2005. Most of them also required reconstruction of the floor of the nose, the platform on which the alar bases and columella rest, and defects of the facial units adjacent to the nose. Aesthetic nasal reconstruction used two separate skin paddles to reconstruct the lining for the nasal vestibule and columella, an artistically constructed nasal framework made of cartilage, a forehead flap for cover, and other flaps and grafts to reconstruct adjacent facial unit defects. RESULTS: The average patient age was 41.8 years (range, 10.4 to 65.3 years). Follow-up (from the time of the first operative stage) averaged 26.4 months (range, 4 to 49 months). Nine patients had functional airways, and one required nasal airway support with internal silicone tubes. At the time of publication, eight patients had normal-appearing noses, and two were awaiting secondary surgery to correct persistent deformity. CONCLUSIONS: Microvascular free flaps have proved to be highly reliable and efficacious for restoration of missing elements of the nasal lining and adjacent facial soft-tissue defects in total and subtotal nasal reconstruction. Combined with a forehead flap, this aesthetic approach allows for reconstruction of the center of the face layer by layer and facial unit by facial unit. Specific attention is paid to the artistic creation of normal nasal dimensions, proportion, and form using carved and assembled cartilage grafts and by secondary subcutaneous contouring. In addition, this technique produces a patent airway.

The efficacy of bilateral lower abdominal free flaps for unilateral breast reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: In large-breasted women, those with midline abdominal scars, or those with scant abdominal tissue, a unipedicled lower abdominal flap may be insufficient for breast reconstruction. In these circumstances, bipedicled flaps may best satisfy the reconstructive requirements, but outcomes with bilateral free flaps for unilateral breast reconstruction are generally lacking. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients in whom two vascular pedicles/flaps were used to simultaneously reconstruct a single breast was used to assess operative outcomes. RESULTS: Forty patients (80 flaps) for whom two free tissue transfers were used to simultaneously reconstruct a single breast were identified. The majority of patients had a native breast cup size of C or larger. The flaps used included the superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA) flap (n = 29; 36 percent), the transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap (n = 9; 11 percent), the muscle-sparing TRAM flap (n = 15; 19 percent), and the deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap (n = 27; 34 percent). Flaps were paired in a variety of configurations, most commonly using a muscle-sparing TRAM flap in conjunction with a DIEP flap or an SIEA flap. Recipient vessels included a combination of the internal mammary and thoracodorsal vessels and the pedicles of combined flaps (turbocharged). There were no flap losses. Two flaps required reexploration for microsurgical anastomotic revision, and both were successfully salvaged. Isolated fat necrosis was encountered in only three of 80 flaps. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that bilateral, bipedicled, abdominal free flaps for unilateral breast reconstruction can be used safely with a high degree of success. These combined flaps provide for enhanced vascular perfusion of the lower abdominal flap territory, allowing for harvest of larger volumes of tissue for reconstruction.

Revision in autologous breast reconstruction: principles and approach.

As breast reconstruction has an aesthetic endpoint, secondary surgical intervention is an integral part of this process. This article examines revision in autologous breast reconstruction from the perspective of clinical priority. The authors examine challenges they may be faced in autologous breast reconstructions and suggest surgical approaches toward their resolution.

Immediate autologous breast reconstruction using muscle-sparing TRAM flaps with superficial epigastric system turbocharging: a salvage option.

Current breast reconstruction trends favor the use of muscle-sparing abdominal flaps to minimize abdominal morbidity. When compared to the transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap, the muscle-sparing deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap and the superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA) flap are common options that minimize donor-site morbidity. For patients with inadequate flap perfusion via either system, alternative surgical options that permit preservation of the abdominal musculature are limited. Using both the DIEP and SIEA systems, the authors describe a turbocharged construct that also facilitates flap perfusion without the need for violation of the anterior rectus sheath. This turbocharged system can provide adequate blood supply in a flap with questionable DIEP or SIEA perfusion alone.