The Laparoscopically Harvested Omental Free Flap: A Compelling Option for Craniofacial and Cranial Base Reconstruction

Refining reconstructive arsenal: Free omental flap with autologous bone graft for complex craniofacial defects after tumor resection and frontal osteoradionecrosis

Skull osteoradionecrosis may happen after radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Here in, the authors present a case of intracranial carcinoma with osteoradionecrosis and exposure of frontal bone with a large communication between nasal cavity and anterior fossa associated. The patient was successfully treated with resection of the tumor and reconstruction omentum free flap wrapped around autologous bone graft.

Allograft as an Adjunct for Free Omental Flaps for Lower Extremity Coverage of a Mangled Lower Extremity

The utility of allograft for temporary coverage of soft tissue defects is well-established, most notably in the burn literature. Its utility as an adjunct to free tissue transfer for soft tissue defects has been described, but literature on the effectiveness of this hybrid approach for lower extremity salvage is limited. We present a series of two patients who underwent lower extremity salvage using an omental free flap and allograft followed by staged split-thickness skin grafting at our institution. Patient characteristics analyzed included age, smoking status, comorbidities, mechanism of injury, wound class, and wound surface area. Endpoints included partial or complete flap loss, number of days from allograft to autograft, postoperative infection, unplanned reoperation, and successful, functional extremity salvage.  Both patients were male, ages 50 and 35, with a BMI of 31 and 19.2 kg/m2, respectively. Both were active smokers and had contaminated Gustilo IIIB wounds with areas of over 300 cm2. Both flaps had partial necrosis, averaging 6cm2, that was debrided at the planned second stage. Neither had an unplanned return to surgery, and both patients returned to ambulation.  Allograft skin as a practical and effective adjunct to omental free flap for post-traumatic lower extremity reconstruction. It can facilitate the resolution of edema and prevent flap desiccation, allowing time demarcation of partial flap necrosis and confirmation of flap viability prior to definitive skin autograft. This is particularly useful for large surface area contaminated highly irregular traumatic lower extremity wounds.

Chimeric Anterolateral Thigh Flap in Skull Base Reconstruction: A Case-Based Update and Literature Review

Oncologic and traumatic neurosurgery may have to cope with the issue of skull base defects, which are associated with increased risk of meningitis, epidural abscess and cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) leak. The aim of skull base reconstruction is to repair the dural exposure and to separate the intracranial contents from the nonsterile sino-nasal cavities and extracranial space. Currently, many different surgical techniques have been described, and one of the most performed is the use free flap. In the present paper we performed a case-based update and literature review of the use of chimeric anterolateral thigh free flap harvested from rectus femoris, reporting the case of a 68-year-old man with recurrent spheno-ethmoidalis plane meningioma.

Free Flap Reconstruction of the Anterior Skull Base: A Systematic Review

Objectives Given the limitations in the available literature, the precise indications, techniques, and outcomes of anterior skull base free flap reconstruction remain uncertain. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of published literature and evaluate indications, methods, and complications for anterior skull base free flap reconstruction.

Methods A systematic review of the literature was performed using a set of search criteria to identify patients who underwent free flap reconstruction of the anterior skull base. Articles were reviewed for inclusion based on relevance, with the primary outcome being surgical complications.

Results After a comprehensive search, 406 articles were obtained and 16 articles were ultimately found to be relevant to this review—79 patients undergoing free flap reconstruction were identified. Overall complication rates were 17.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 16.6–33.1%) for major complications and 19.0% (95% CI: 17.8–35.5%) for minor complications.

Conclusion Microvascular reconstruction of the anterior skull base is feasible with high reliability reported in the literature.

Use of the Omental Free Flap for Treatment of Chronic Anterior Skull Base Infections

Chronic complications following anterior cranial fossa tumor extirpation, such as cerebrospinal fluid leak, meningitis, mucocele, pneumocephalus, and abscess, negatively impact patient quality of life. Robust vascularized tissue is generally required to adequately reconstruct and obliterate this complex geometric space. The aim of this study was to describe outcomes and advantages of the omental flap for these defects. Following institutional review board approval, a prospective, reconstructive database was reviewed from 2011 to 2020. Four patients with chronic anterior skull base complications treated with omental flap reconstruction were identified, with chart reviews performed. Median time from the index operation until the complication ultimately required a free omental transfer was 7.3 years. All patients underwent adjuvant radiation with the indications for surgery, including cerebral abscess, recurrent meningitis, osteomyelitis, and pneumocephalus. All free flaps survived without any need for revision. There were no donor site complications. One patient had delayed healing at an adjacent nasal wound that healed secondarily. At a median follow-up of 19.4 months, none of the patients had recurrent infections. The omental free flap has a number of properties, which make it ideally suitable for anterior skull base defects. Its malleable nature combined with the presence of multiple vascular arcades enable flexibility in flap design to contour to the crevices of 3-dimensional skull base defects. Although other free flaps are available to the plastic surgeon, the versatility and reliability of the omentum make it a first-line consideration for anterior skull base reconstruction.

ICAR: endoscopic skull-base surgery

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic skull-base surgery (ESBS) is employed in the management of diverse skull-base pathologies. Paralleling the increased utilization of ESBS, the literature in this field has expanded rapidly. However, the rarity of these diseases, the inherent challenges of surgical studies, and the continued learning curve in ESBS have resulted in significant variability in the quality of the literature. To consolidate and critically appraise the available literature, experts in skull-base surgery have produced the International Consensus Statement on Endoscopic Skull-Base Surgery (ICAR:ESBS).

METHODS

Using previously described methodology, topics spanning the breadth of ESBS were identified and assigned a literature review, evidence-based review or evidence-based review with recommendations format. Subsequently, each topic was written and then reviewed by skull-base surgeons in both neurosurgery and otolaryngology. Following this iterative review process, the ICAR:ESBS document was synthesized and reviewed by all authors for consensus.

RESULTS

The ICAR:ESBS document addresses the role of ESBS in primary cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea, intradural tumors, benign skull-base and orbital pathology, sinonasal malignancies, and clival lesions. Additionally, specific challenges in ESBS including endoscopic reconstruction and complication management were evaluated.

CONCLUSION

A critical review of the literature in ESBS demonstrates at least the equivalency of ESBS with alternative approaches in pathologies such as CSF rhinorrhea and pituitary adenoma as well as improved reconstructive techniques in reducing CSF leaks. Evidence-based recommendations are limited in other pathologies and these significant knowledge gaps call upon the skull-base community to embrace these opportunities and collaboratively address these shortcomings.

Free-Flap Reconstruction of Skull Base and Orbital Defects

Orbital and anterior skull base defects present a significant challenge for reconstruction due to the complexity of the anatomy and the need for separation of intracranial and extracranial contents in this area. While endoscopic techniques have revolutionized the treatment of many anterior skull base defects, microvascular free tissue transfer is a viable option for large volume defects not suitable for traditional open approaches or for cases where endoscopic techniques have failed. The various free tissue transfer techniques for anterior skull base and orbit, as well as the advantages and disadvantages, are reviewed.

Use of omental free flap for craniofacial reconstruction in unfavorable wound bed: A case report

INTRODUCTION

The omental free flap is an effective tool for craniofacial reconstruction. However it is generally under-utilised by a large number of practitioners. This paper's goal is to increase awareness of this free flap's accessibility and to demonstrate that it can be an attractive option for reconstructive surgery.

CLINICAL REPORT

This article outlines the details of a 57-year-old patient who required coverage of a fronto-parietal wound with dura mater exposure. After previous failed conventional free flap attempts, a procedure using the omental free flap was finally performed on this severe wound. The omentum was harvested via a 8cm laparotomy and anastomosed to the temporal vessels. The final result was successful, with a favorable aesthetic result.

DISCUSSION

The omental free flap has many advantages: the pedicle length is long, it allows coverage of a large wound, it can be applied to a wound bed previously irradiated and infected, it has a low morbidity rate to the donor site, the surgical technique of harvesting is easy, the aesthetic result is satisfactory. However, the absence of skin slice is a disadvantage of the omental free flap because it makes monitoring difficult and it requires a skin graft in a second procedure. Laparoscopic harvest of omentum free flaps is a safe and effective tool in the reconstructive armamentarium. Every maxillofacial and plastic surgeon should aim to master and use this method as a legitimate option in some infrequent but appropriated cases.