Journal Reviews
Risks of tracheostomy in head and neck cancer
Tracheostomy is an accepted surgical procedure that is one of the oldest ways of securing the airway. It is widely accepted to protect the airway after big cases of head and neck cancer and especially following free flap reconstruction. It...
Temporary tracheostomies are not always necessary for head and neck free flap reconstruction
Complex head and neck cancer cases with reconstruction can be challenging due to the risk of loss of airway. Temporary tracheostomies are often used to protect the airway following complex oral and maxillofacial ablative surgery and reconstruction. However, while this...
Outcomes of heavily pre-treated oral squamous cell carcinomas
Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of the more common cancers worldwide. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment and often these patients have had adjuvant therapies. In spite of improving five year survival rates, local recurrent progressive disease is still...
Reconstruction with scapular tip following hemi-maxillectomy and rehabilitation with dental implants
Post ablative defects in the maxilla can be extremely complex, involve all three dimensions and result in significant morbidity. Rehabilitation is fraught with difficulties, and a number of options are available, such as an obturator or surgical reconstruction with a...
Tissue engineered flaps
This article provides a thorough summary of the current techniques available in head and neck reconstruction. It details the challenge of restoration of form and function posed by the shape of the craniofacial skeleton and soft tissue. The introduction on...
Reconstruction with scapular tip
Post ablative defects in the maxilla can be extremely complex, involve all three dimensions and result in significant morbidity. Rehabilitation is fraught with difficulties, and a number of options are available, including an obturator or surgical reconstruction with a free...
Coupler microvascular anastomoses: how good?
This is a paper written by a group of reconstructive surgeons and school of computing. This study used computational fluid dynamics to model blood flow through ‘idealised sutured and coupled’ vessels. They investigate if the anastomotic technique affects intra vascular...
Anteromedial thigh perforator free flaps
Forty-one consecutive anterior anteromedial thigh (AMT) free flaps are reported, with a success rate of 95%. This flap is being used as an alternative to the preferred anterolateral thigh flap (ALT), which is described as the ‘real workhorse’, when this...
