Search

Background:. Surgery for zygomatic complex fractures primarily aims to obtain facial symmetry. We investigated facial symmetry specific to lower eyelid bulges following zygomatic complex fractures approached through the lower eyelid. Methods:. Forty-one consecutive patients underwent treatment of zygomatic complex fractures by swinging eyelid approach or subciliary approach. In both approaches, the periosteum was incised 2 mm caudal to the inferior orbital rim and the orbicularis retaining ligament (ORL) was released. The orbital rim periosteum was interruptedly sutured and reconstruction of the orbital septum or ORL was not performed at the time of closure. In cases with a lower eyelid bulge on the nonfractured side, in a frontal photograph 6 months after the operation, the degree of loss of the lower eyelid bulge on the fractured side was classified as either “none,” “mild,” or “severe.” Results:. Lower eyelid bulge was present on the nonfractured side in 19 of 41 patients, all of whom were over 50 years old. Loss of lower eyelid bulge was observed on the fractured side in all cases: 15 cases following the swinging eyelid approach (mild/severe; 6/9) and four cases following the subciliary approach (mild/severe; 2/2). Conclusions:. In reconstruction after zygomatic complex fractures, lower eyelid bulges were lost in both the swinging eyelid and subciliary approaches in patients over 50 years old. The cause was thought to be an ORL release or an unintended septal reset-like effect.

Background:. Head and neck reconstructions using the pectoralis major myocutaneous pedicle flap (PMMF) with thoracoacromial artery alone are prone to hemodynamic instability, possibly leading to infection, prolapse, hematoma, seroma, and partial or total flap failure (6%–71%). Aside from unstable blood circulation, reported risk factors for these complications include feminine gender, smoking, and having diabetes mellitus. Preservation of the lateral thoracic artery in addition to the thoracoacromial artery has been suggested as a way to improve unstable blood circulation in the PMMF. Methods:. This is a single-center, prospective, uncontrolled case series. Circulation to the PMMF was studied intraoperatively with and without lateral thoracic artery clamping after harvest. Indocyanine green (ICG) angiopathy, a quantitative hemodynamic assessment method, was used to analyze three parameters: maximum intensity (Imax), time from start of ICG to maximum intensity (Tmax), and slope of intensity (Smax = Imax/Tmax). Hemodynamic parameters, such as pulse rate and blood pressure, were all within normal ranges. Allergy to contrast media was criterion for exclusion. Results:. Six patients all had oral cancer as their primary disease. Their background was characterized by established risk factors: four patients had a history of smoking, two had diabetes mellitus, and two were women. Postoperatively, no patients had complications at the recipient or donor sites. Mean results of the analysis were Imax: 60 ± 47, Tmax: 91 ± 55, Smax: 0.8 ± 0.5 in the clamped group and Imax: 85 ± 40, Tmax: 73 ± 42, Smax: 1.8 ± 1.5 in the un-clamped group. Significant difference was observed in Imax (P = 0.03) and Smax (P = 0.03). Conclusion:. Lateral thoracic artery preservation appears to be useful for stabilizing blood circulation to the PMMF, including in patients considered to be at high-risk for complications, such as women, smokers, and patients with diabetes mellitus.

Summary:. Resection of soft-tissue sarcomas near important tissues (major blood vessels, nerves, bones) is challenging. “In situ preparation” (ISP) technique enables the function of the affected limb to be maintained by preserving the tissue as much as possible. The technique is based on evaluation of the margin of resection of important tissues near the tumor during surgery. Postoperative fractures are known to frequently occur, however, in cases where bones were preserved and periosteum has been resected by the ISP. We present the case of a 51-year-old woman who required treatment for soft-tissue sarcoma close to the femur. During surgery, femoral periosteum was included in the tumor side and the femur was preserved by the ISP. We covered the femur using a vascularized latissimus dorsi free flap instead of periosteum. The flap survived completely, and 5 years after surgery, there has been no recurrence or postoperative complications and the lower limb is functional. This is the first reported case of successful combined use of the bone ISP and the vascularized latissimus dorsi free flap to preserve the function of the limb affected by femoral sarcoma suspected of bone infiltration.

Summary:. Venous malformations (VMs) are compressible, blue-purple tumors that are present at birth, and are treated with either surgery or sclerotherapy, or a combination of both. Patients often experience recurrent hemorrhage, swelling, pain, or difficulty in daily life. Treatment of massive VMs can, therefore, be challenging. We applied intralesional laser photocoagulation (ILP) to a 19-year-old female patient with a huge VM who had shown resistance to sclerotherapy. It spanned from the dorsal area to the lateral chest. ILP is delivered directly into thick, deep lesions through a bare fiber delivery system. The effect on deep components is optimized without directly contacting the cutaneous or mucosal surfaces to minimize epithelial damage. We applied ILP to the lesion at 30 W in continuous mode (10 seconds) under ultrasound monitoring using an Nd:YAG laser of 1064-nm wavelength. In total, there have been 4 sessions of the same treatment; the lesion was treated with a combined 120 kJ of energy. Satisfactory regression of the huge VM was achieved by this ILP treatment. No significant complications (major bleeding, severe pain, post-perforation skin ulcer, and scar contraction) occurred during the treatment. ILP has been indicated for only sclerotherapy-resistant cases until now, but we suggest that it is a potentially safe and minimally-invasive resolution of VM without scarring or loss of normal shape, sensory feel, or function. ILP appears to be a safe and minimally-invasive resolution of VM. We propose that this technique could become a first-choice treatment modality for VM.