Magnitude of radial forearm free flaps and factors associated with loss of volume in oral cancer reconstructive surgery: Prospective study

Comparison of the Efficacy of Indwelling Gastric Tubes in Preoperative and Postoperative Patients With Oral and Maxillofacial Malignancies

PURPOSE

To explore the optimal plan for the timing of indwelling gastric tube placement in oral and maxillofacial malignant tumor patients.

DESIGN

A prospective randomized controlled trial.

METHODS

80 patients with oral and maxillofacial tumor were selected, and 40 patients were Pre-operative group. The remaining 40 patients were the control group, called Postoperative group. The body weight and hospital stay of the two groups were observed before and after surgery. Blood samples were taken before surgery and 1, 3 and 7 days after surgery to detect hemoglobin and plasma albumin.

FINDINGS

The number of postoperative hospitalization days in the pre-operative group was significantly lower than that in the post-operative group; postoperative hemoglobin and plasma albumins were lower in both groups compared with the preoperative level.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative nasogastric tube ensured early postoperative administration of gastrointestinal nutrition, promoted postoperative plasma albumin recovery, and shortened the days of hospitalization.

Impact of adjuvant radiochemotherapy on free flap volume in head and neck reconstruction: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Limited data exist regarding the effect of adjuvant radiochemotherapy on free flap volume in head and neck reconstruction. However, an adequate free flap volume is an important predictor of functional and patient-reported outcomes in head and neck reconstruction.

METHODS

A systematic review of Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 6710 abstracts were screened, and 36 full-text papers were reviewed. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were used to extract data for this analysis.

RESULTS

A meta-analysis of 14 two-arm studies comparing the impact of adjuvant radiotherapy versus no adjuvant radiotherapy was performed. The main analysis revealed that 6 months postoperatively, irradiated flaps showed a significant reduction of volume (average, 9.4%) compared to nonirradiated flaps. The average interpolated pooled flap volumes 6 months postoperatively were 76.4% in irradiated flaps and 81.8% in nonirradiated flaps. After a median postoperative follow-up of 12 months, the total flap volume was 62.6% for irradiated flaps and 76% for nonirradiated flaps. Four studies reported that chemotherapy had no significant impact on free flap volume.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to nonirradiated flaps, irradiated flaps were significantly reduced in volume (range, 5% to 15.5%). Clinicians should take this into account when planning the surgical reconstruction of head and neck defects. Conducting large-scale prospective studies with standardized protocols and well-defined follow-up measurements could contribute to defining the ideal, personalized free flap volume for optimal function and patient-reported outcomes.

Impact of Adjuvant Radiotherapy on Free Flap Volume in Autologous Breast Reconstruction: A Scoping Review

In autologous breast reconstruction, a sufficient flap volume is fundamental to restore breast shape and ensure an aesthetic outcome. After mastectomy, postoperative irradiation is regularly indicated in the oncological treatment algorithm. When administering radiation therapy after autologous reconstruction, the tissue transferred is inherently irradiated. Although there is evidence that points to a reduction in flap volume after adjuvant radiotherapy, the data have been contradicting and inconclusive. To address this anecdotal evidence, we performed a scoping review of the current literature that addresses the effect of radiotherapy on breast flap volume. Six two-armed studies, comprising a total of 462 patients, reported on the effect of adjuvant radiotherapy on free flap volume changes. Of those, two studies found a significant negative impact of radiotherapy on free flap volume, while the other four studies did not. Reported flap volume changes ranged from no change to a reduction of 26.2%, measured up to two years postoperatively. The selected studies contain varying patient numbers, follow-up timepoints, types of flaps, and measuring methods, contributing to a relatively high heterogeneity. While we present some evidence suggesting a significant impact of adjuvant radiotherapy on breast flap volume, future studies are needed to further investigate this potential correlation.

Free flap volume changes: can we predict ideal flap size and future volume loss?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Under anticipating free flap volume may lead to deficits in functional and aesthetic outcomes. Alternatively, over anticipating may compromise airway patency, lead to prolonged tracheostomy dependence or poor oral intake, and cause poor cosmetic outcomes. Surgeons face a fine balance in creating a functional reconstruction that accounts adequately for volume changes in the future.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent studies are elucidating the complex and multifactorial volume changes of free flaps that are dependent on postoperative radiation, flap composition, weight fluctuations, and site of reconstruction. Radial forearm free flaps typically lose about 40% of their volume, regardless of patient-dependent variables. Muscle flaps exhibit significant fluctuations with patient-dependent variables. Adipose-prevalent flaps are likely more resistant to radiation effects but are more dependent on postoperative weight changes in the patient.

SUMMARY

Free flap volume over anticipation recommendations range from 1.1 to 1.4 times the final volume to account for future atrophy but patient characteristics including postoperative radiation, anticipated weight loss, and flap composition should be incorporated into intraoperative decisions for final flap volume.

Advances in oral tongue reconstruction: a reconstructive paradigm and review of functional outcomes

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Glossectomy remains a common treatment of oral tongue malignancies, which has a range of functional impacts depending on the extent of resection. This review aims to categorize and provide context for the approach to reconstructing these defects using recent evidence.

RECENT FINDINGS

The reconstruction method of choice should be tailored to the size and location of the glossectomy defect with special consideration to replace tongue volume and preserve mobility. There has been an increasing focus on patient-reported outcomes in oral tongue reconstruction. For defects beyond one-third of the tongue, free tissue reconstruction, and more recently, the submental artery island flap yield excellent results. Advances in reconstruction of larger defects have included preoperative soft tissue planning and assessment of outcomes in total glossectomy patients with laryngeal preservation.

SUMMARY

Depending on the defect, the appropriate reconstruction may range from healing by secondary intention to large volume free tissue transfer. In general, functional outcomes diminish with increasing size and complexity of the defect regardless of the reconstructive technique.