Search

Reconstruction of the facial nerve after radical parotidectomy is commonly performed with cable grafting, which is associated with slow recovery of nerve function and synkinesis.To describe facial nerve reconstruction after radical parotidectomy using concurrent masseteric nerve transfer and cable grafting.This retrospective medical record review at a tertiary referral hospital included 9 patients who underwent concurrent masseteric nerve transfer and cable grafting for facial nerve reconstruction performed by a single surgeon from January 1, 2014, to October 31, 2015. Final follow-up was completed on March 14, 2016.Improvement in resting facial symmetry and oral commissure excursion and synkinesis.Nine patients (6 women; mean age, 62.6 years; age range, 51-73 years) underwent immediate facial nerve reconstruction after radical parotidectomy using concurrent cable grafting and masseteric nerve transposition. All patients had return of oral commissure motion within 2 to 7 months after surgery with good excursion and minimal synkinesis.Masseteric nerve transposition can be combined with cable grafting to improve outcomes in facial rehabilitation after radical parotidectomy.4.

Whether undergoing cervicofacial rhytidectomy after radiotherapy for tumors of the head and neck is associated with increased complication rates and therefore should be avoided remains unknown.To evaluate complication rates in patients who have undergone cervicofacial rhytidectomy after radiotherapy for head and neck tumors and compare these rates with those of patients who have not undergone radiotherapy.Retrospective review of the medical records of 16 patients who underwent cervicofacial rhytidectomy after completing radiotherapy for head and neck tumors and those of 16 age-matched control participants who did not undergo radiotherapy. Patients underwent treatment from July 1, 2006, through February 28, 2014, with final follow-up on February 28, 2014. Complications after surgery were reviewed and data for surgery type, technique, radiation dose and delivery method, and time to surgery after radiotherapy were analyzed. Data were collected from June 1 through December 31, 2013, and analyzed from January 1, 2014, through June 1, 2015.Rate of complications after surgery.The radiotherapy and control group patients were a mean of 62 years old. In the radiotherapy group, 8 of 16 were women; 14 of 16 were women in the control group. Two major complications, 1 hematoma and 1 perioperative stroke, occurred in the 16 patients who composed the study cohort. In the control group, there was 1 case of transient facial nerve weakness and 1 case of cellulitis that was successfully treated with antibiotics. Two patients experienced wound dehiscence, and no incidents of motor or sensory nerve injury occurred. Subcutaneous face-lift (3 of 3 patients [100%] vs 1 of 13 patients [8%] who underwent superficial musculoaponeurotic system and deep-plane face-lifts; P = .02) and the addition of chemotherapy (4 of 9 patients [44%] vs 0 of 7 patients who did not receive chemotherapy; P = .04) were associated with increased complications. Being older and the time from completion of radiotherapy and surgery did not show any correlation to complications.Aesthetic facial surgery after radiotherapy has an increased risk for complication compared with facial surgery without radiotherapy. The incidence of wound dehiscence is elevated in the population undergoing radiotherapy but can be managed conservatively in most cases. Patients who undergo radiotherapy must be counseled on the increased risk for complications before proceeding with cervicofacial rhytidectomy.3.

The decision whether to discontinue antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant medications before a facial plastic surgical procedure is a complicated and multifactorial process that involves weighing the risk of perioperative thromboembolic complications with bleeding-related complications.To determine the complication rates in patients who undergo a range of facial plastic surgical procedures while receiving antiplatelet and/or anticoagulation therapy.A total of 9204 surgical procedures from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2012, at an academic medical center and its affiliated surgical sites were analyzed, with patients who continued receiving antiplatelet and/or anticoagulation (aspirin, clopidogrel bisulphate, and warfarin sodium) therapy during the perioperative period identified and compared with a matched case-control group of patients who did not receive antiplatelet and/or anticoagulation therapy during this period.Facial plastic surgery procedures and perioperative management.Complication rates of wound healing (dehiscence or necrosis), infection, bleeding (hematoma or ecchymosis), and return to the operating room.Patients who received aspirin therapy at the time of surgery were not more likely to have a complication compared with control patients (odds ratio [95% CI], 0.73 [0.45-1.17]). Patients who received warfarin had increased perioperative bleeding (odds ratio [95% CI], 3.80 [1.15-12.60]) and postoperative infections (odds ratio [95% CI], 7.29 [1.17-45.40]) compared with control patients. Serious complications (flap necrosis, dehiscence, or return to the operating room) were not increased with warfarin use.This study demonstrates that patients who undergo facial plastic surgery may continue taking antiplatelet and/or anticoagulation therapy during the perioperative period safely with minimal serious complications.3.

Objective To examine the effect of administration of a low-molecular-weight heparin derivative, enoxaparin, on the rate of arterial thrombosis in a rat model. Study Design Prospective, randomized, blinded study. Methods A standard microarterial anastomosis tuck injury was created in both femoral arteries of 25 Long Evans retired breeder rats. Thirteen animals received a subcutaneous injection of 50 IU/kg of enoxaparin 2 hours before the procedure, while 12 control animals received vehicle (isotonic sodium chloride solution) alone. Sites of injury/repair were assessed 2 hours after the procedure for anastomotic patency or thrombosis. Results Six (23%) of 26 vessels in the drug-treated group developed an arterial thrombosis at the site of repair, while 6 (25%) of 24 vessels in the control group developed thrombosis. There was no statistically significant difference at the 95% confidence limit between the 2 groups based on a comparison-of-proportions test. Conclusion The preoperative subcutaneous administration of 50 IU/kg of enoxaparin did not alter the rate of arterial thrombosis following the creation of a thrombogenic tuck injury/repair of the rat femoral artery.

To evaluate the aesthetic and functional outcomes of a full-thickness skin graft and a separately harvested auricular cartilage graft for nasal alar defects created by Mohs micrographic surgery.Twenty patients with deep Mohs micrographic surgery defects of the nasal ala who underwent reconstruction with a full-thickness skin graft and an auricular cartilage graft were prospectively studied at a single tertiary care institution between 2010 and 2011 in a nonrandomized, nonblinded study. An ordinal 5-point Likert scale evaluation of overall outcomes was performed by 4 independent surgeon raters.The mean outcome for use of the full-thickness skin and auricular cartilage graft construct was a score of 2.3 on a scale of 1 through 5, with 1 being excellent and 5 being poor. The mean duration of follow-up was 6 months, with a range of 5 weeks to 23 months. There were no clinically meaningful losses of constructs in the patients studied.A full-thickness skin graft and a separately harvested auricular cartilage graft are valuable and reliable tools for reconstructing deep nasal alar defects that require support to prevent alar retraction or collapse, particularly when a single-stage procedure is preferred or necessary because of medical comorbidities.

To compare objective outcomes and complications following temporalis tendon transfer in patients with and without a history of radiation to the parotid bed.Retrospective medical chart review comparing dynamic movement of the oral commissure and resting symmetry achieved in 7 irradiated patients (group R) and 7 nonirradiated patients (group N) after temporalis tendon transfer for unilateral facial paralysis.There were no significant differences between the 2 groups of patients in terms of age, additional facial reanimative procedures, baseline lip position, or follow-up time. Postoperatively, good resting symmetry was achieved in both groups. The mean commissure excursion was significantly inferior in the irradiated group of patients (-1.5 mm in group R vs 2.1 mm in group N; P.05). Two patients in the irradiated group experienced surgical site infections requiring hospital admission and eventual debridement of their tendon transfers.Temporalis tendon transfer seems to produce less dynamic movement in patients who have received radiation to the parotid bed, and these patients may also be at higher risk of postoperative infection. Temporalis tendon transfer can achieve good resting symmetry in both irradiated and nonirradiated patients.