The fibula free flap was first described in 1975 and since then has gone on to become the gold standard technique for reconstruction of longer spans in the mandible or maxilla. It is a reliable flap that affords good quality...
Nasal defects commonly are a result of removal of skin lesions. Cosmetic outcomes of local flap reconstructions are commonly accepted to be superior in comparison to skin grafts. However, local flap reconstructions require more adjunctive procedures than single-stage operations based...
This is an update from the team of authors that originally described the free style facial artery perforator flap, for one stage nasal reconstruction, in 2009. They now update after 10 years of experience with these freestyle facial artery perforator...
The two-volume second edition of this great work is simply an essential component of all good plastic surgery libraries, both as an inspiring read and a valuable reference. The second edition mirrors the first in its basic structure and layout,...
Split earlobes are a common secondary deformity of the ear. Numerous techniques have been described to repair a traumatic split earlobe and break the linear scar. However, most of the techniques require elevation of additional flaps from normal surrounding tissue...
This review examined the relationship between free flap survival in older patients and whether this correlated with specific co-morbid conditions and a ‘cut off’ age.The authors did exclude some papers that specifically focused on one co-morbid condition, such as diabetes,...
Abdominal problems following transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) and deep inferior epigastric perforators (DIEP) flaps are well recognised in these otherwise excellent methods of breast reconstruction. The authors reviewed 399 patients, of whom 57.7% had surgical complications although most of...
The authors performed a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing immediate autologous breast reconstruction with an abdominal free flap. Over a 17-month period, 625 flaps were included in 518 patients, with 40 flaps receiving irradiation. Mean patient age and BMI...
The debate amongst head and neck surgeons, as to whether a skin flap or enteric flap offers superior outcomes in pharyngeal reconstruction, still rumbles on. The evidence pool is very shallow, even accounting for the so-called ‘landmark’ papers that swung...
The lips are necessary for oral competence, cosmesis, speech and feeding. Non melanoma cancers can affect the lips, and the lower lips are about 80% more likely to be affected. A large number of these cancers are squamous cell carcinomas....
The authors looked at 346 studies of the use of free flaps in burns and undertook a systematic review of 30 of these studies after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. They found that the use of free flaps could be...
A description of one method of reconstructing problematic soft tissue defects of the heel. It is always good to have several techniques available in your quiver, so that you can choose the most appropriate arrow for any particular problem. This...