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Anophtalmic socket reconstruction is a challenging problem in plastic surgery. We had described a prefabricated superficial temporal fascia island flap and used this technique in 50 enucleation patients with severe socket contraction ending in excellent or good results for 28 years (Altin- das-1 procedure). However, the flap was not suitable for the exenteration patients with complete eyelid loss. The technique was modified and used in exenteration patients (Altindas-2 procedure). In this 2-staged procedure, the temporoparietal fascia is prefabricated with a full-thickness skin graft from the retroauricular area, and a strip of scalp is preserved at the middle of the flap. The flap is transferred to the orbit through a subcutaneous tunnel at the second stage. The prefabricated flap is used for the reconstruction of eyelids and periorbital skin; scalp island is used for the reconstruction of lid margins and eyelashes; and the neighboring bare temporoparietal fascia is used for the augmentation of the periorbital soft tissues. The orbital lining is elevated as a centrally based skin flap and used for the reconstruction of the eye socket, fornicles, and posterior lining of the eyelids. The technique was used successfully in 5 total exenteration patients with complete eyelid loss. In 1 patient, the ipsilateral temporal island flap was used previously, and the flap was prepared from the contralateral site and transferred to the anophtalmic orbit as a free flap 5 weeks later. By this procedure, it is possible to reconstruct a stable eye socket that is suitable for ocular prosthesis, upper and lower fornicles, periorbital skin with good color matching, naturally looking eyelids with eyelashes and lid margins, and medial and lateral canthal areas. It is also possible to improve periorbital soft tissue atrophy, which is an important problem in patients who had radiotherapy previously. Free transfer of the flap provides a new solution for the reconstruction of cases that were operated previously.

Neurosurgical procedures may lead to mortal complications. Exposure of the dura mater, brain, or other intracranial structures; persistent cerebrospinal fluid fistulas; and connection between the extradural space and the nasopharynx and paranasal sinuses are complications that can be best treated with microvascular free tissue transfers. We report two patients with complications that occurred after neurosurgical operations. Both patients were treated by a team, including a plastic surgeon, ear, nose, and throat surgeon, and a neurosurgeon. Free rectus abdominis muscle flap was the choice of treatment for reconstruction.

A new technique for the correction of the severely deviated nose is described. After submucosal resection of the septum, the nasal hump is resected, reversed, and reinserted. This technique was applied to 27 patients over a four-year period with successful results. The advantages and disadvantages of the method are discussed.

Background: Bilateral traumatic amputation and limb-threatening injury of the lower extremities is more challenging than the unilateral amputation. Successful replantation of both lower extremities has been reported previously. However, orthotopic implantations may not be possible when amputation of both lower limbs with different levels of section and degrees of damage to surrounding tissues occurs. It was reported that the crossover replanted foot in combination with prosthetic limb is better than 2 artificial limbs. Hence, crossover replantation should be considered when anatomic replantation of both lower extremities is not possible as a result of bilateral total or subtotal amputation. To our knowledge, there are few reports about the crossover replantation of the lower extremity in the literature. Case Report: A 30-year-old engineer being run over by the train had crushed the bilateral lower limbs in different anatomic levels. We decided to perform the crossover replantation of the right foot to the stump of the left leg to provide the patient with at least 1 weight-bearing sensate extremity. At the latest follow-up examination, 30 months after the operation, he had mild pain, especially in toes of the replanted foot. There was no ulceration in both the replanted extremity and the right amputation stump. The sole has maintained complete protective sensation. The patient described the functional result of the reimplanted leg as satisfying and better than the prosthesis that has caused much more problems than the replanted extremity. He had no complaint about the cosmetic result. He stated that he would have the crossover replantation again under the same condition. He was able to return to his previous job. Moreover, he affirmed that he is able to carry on his all social activities as he had done before the accident except for playing football. In conclusion, the possibility of the crossover replantation should be considered while evaluating the patient with bilateral lower limb injuries to allow the patient to stand on their own foot and still touch ground.

The short distance of the nasal tip from the alar crease indicates inadequate projection. Tip grafts are commonly used for the management of this problem. In addition to tip grafts, labiocolumellar augmentation by cartilage grafts also provides further elevation of the tip complex for patients with poor tip definition, excessive alar base width, inadequate tip projection, or plunging nasal tip. In addition to standard rhinoplasty procedure and tip grafting for nasal tip augmentation, a linear cartilage graft was inserted centrally just behind the labiocolumellar angle for further tip elevation. The graft was placed in the subdermal plane just anterior to the orbicularis oris muscle to prevent graft displacement and clicking during muscle motion. This procedure was performed for 45 rhinoplasty patients, only three of whom underwent tip plasty procedures alone. During 1 year, 43 patients were followed up. Most of the patients (75%) were satisfied with the results of the procedure. Tip graft combined with labiocolumellar graft is an effective technique for obtaining satisfactory tip projection and correcting the acute labiocolumellar angle.

Twenty-two elective free-tissue transfers for reconstruction of various defects were performed in 20 pediatric patients over a 7-year period. Patient ages ranged from 5 to 17 years (mean: 12.5 years). There were six open wounds, six unstable scars, five tumor resection defects, three facial gunshot wounds, one facial paralysis, and one penis agenesis. Ten free flaps were transferred to the head and neck region, seven to the lower extremity, four to the upper extremity, and one to the genital area. Ten fasciocutaneous flaps, seven muscle or myocutaneous flaps, and five vascularized bone grafts were transferred. All flaps survived, except for one in an electrical burn patient. The success rate was 95 percent. No vessel spasm was observed. Children tolerated long operation periods better than adults. The recovery time after surgery was considerably shorter than in adults. The mean operative time was 6 hr, and the average hospital stay was 12 days. The mean follow-up period was 27 months. Results of this study indicate that microvascular free-tissue transfer is a safe and reliable method for the reconstruction of various defects in children.

In the last 7 years, 18 patients with large alopecia (approximately one-third of hair-bearing scalp) were treated with 31 tissue expansion procedures. In the previous 44 patients, with various degrees of alopecia treated with conventional tissue expansion technique, the major complication rates were as high as reported in the relevant literature. The clinical experience gained with these cases led us to make some modifications in the surgical technique. We applied some simple surgical maneuvers and Z-plasties to the last 18 cases with large alopecia. The major complication rate of 3.2% observed in this study is comparable to the lower complication rates of 6–12% reported in the literature for different degrees of alopecia. We believe that these simple modifications and meticulous approach improve the results of conventional treatment of alopecia with tissue expansion and flap. In this paper, details of the insertion technique and reconstructive procedures and their relevance to the success rate of the aesthetic treatment of the large alopecia are discussed.

Reconstruction of the weight-bearing surface of the foot is a challenging problem for the reconstructive surgeon. Because local tissues are not usually available for reconstruction, distant tissue transfers are often necessary. The authors report 20 patients with sole and heel defects that were reconstructed with free flaps. Two patients had bilateral reconstruction. Three patients were younger than 10 years. Etiological causes were burn scar (N = 7), trauma (N = 7), chronic wound (N = 3), and tumor resection (N = 5). All defects were located at a weight-bearing area. Gracilis muscle (N = 11), neurosensorial radial forearm (N = 7), latissimus dorsi muscle (N = 2), rectus abdominis muscle (N = 1), and posterolateral thigh flaps (N = 1) were used for reconstruction. Muscle flaps were preferred for the deep and irregular defects or chronic, open infected wounds. All flaps survived except for one total and two partial complications of necrosis. Recurrence of ulceration was observed in 1 patient with spinal cord trauma. The mean follow-up period was 33.7 months (range, 1-84 months). Patients were evaluated by direct gait observation, footprints, pedograms, and the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test. All patients returned to normal daily activity with individual gait patterns. Functional outcomes of both muscle and fasciocutaneous flaps were satisfactory. Presence of deep sensation, preservation of musculoskeletal integrity, and patient compliance are the main factors for durability of reconstruction.

Treatment of bulbous nasal tip is difficult. In the presence of thick, inelastic skin, cartilaginous framework should be supported in special areas. Many tip grafting techniques have been described but the results usually are not satisfactory. We developed a new tip grafting technique to provide extra support and extra length to the nasal tip. The graft is prepared from the septal cartilage and has an extended ``A'' appearance. The tip graft is supported with a columellar strut graft. Both grafts are inserted into small separate pockets through separate incisions. If necessary, the alar base is reduced with a modified Weir technique. Fifty-two patients were treated with this technique over the last 3 years. Results were satisfactory in all patients without any complications such as graft displacement, infection, or resorption. Extrasupported tip graft is an effective method in the treatment of bulbous nasal tip with thick skin.

The behavior, under burn scars, of three different alloplastic materials, silicone, Medpor and Proplast, was compared in an animal model. A standard burn wound was created in rats, and 3 months later silicone, medpor and proplast alloplasts were placed under the burn scar. The rats were followed for another 3 months and ulceration and/or alloplast exposure rates were evaluated. At the end of this period specimens were examined histologically for the thickness of the fibrous capsule around the implant, thickness of the overlying tissue, tissue ingrowth and vascularization of the implants. Ulceration and exposure occurred in 2 of the 12 Medpor, 2 of the 12 Proplast and none of the 12 silicone implants. Fibrous capsule was significantly thicker around the silicone implants. Tissue ingrowth and vascularization were most prominent in Medpor implants while thickness of the overlying tissue was maximum in Proplast implants. These findings suggest that complications with silicone implants may be less than with other porous implants when used under burn scarred tissue.

Extracorporeal septoplasty is a radical solution for the severely deviated nose. The major problems associated with this procedure are fixation of the septal cartilage graft and dorsal irregularities. Extracorporeal septoplasty was performed in combination with open rhinoplasty in 17 patients with severe nasal deformities. In this technique septum was totally removed through the columellar incision of open rhinoplasty, corrected outside, and replaced as a free ``L'' shaped cartilage graft. The cartilage graft was fixated to the upper lateral cartilages to restore the natural relations of the anatomical structures. Additional rhinoplastic manipulations were also performed. The follow-up period was up to 18 months. The overall result was successful in all patients. Nasal deviation did not recur and secondary revisions were not needed for any patient during follow-up.

Free latissimus dorsi free flaps were used for the treatment of three patients with malignant tumors localized at the distal end of the femur. In all cases, a knee prosthesis was used after tumor resection. In two patients, the prosthesis was covered with a free latissimus dorsi flap immediately after insertion. In one patient, the exposed prosthesis that was inserted 9 months previously was also covered with a free latissimus dorsi flap. Histopathologic diagnosis of the tumors was osteosarcoma in two cases and fusiform cell sarcoma in one case. Free-tissue transfers were successful in spite of preoperative chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Chemotherapy was started 3 weeks postoperatively in all cases. Patients ambulated 6 weeks after surgery and knee functions were satisfactory during a 1 year follow-up.