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Aim of the Study: To elucidate hospital mortality, morbidity and actuarial survival rates of patients with carcinoma of the hypopharynx and cervical oesophagus and to identify the technique of choice for reconstruction after pharyngolaryngectomy., Patients and Methods: We reviewed the records of 209 patients who underwent total pharyngolaryngectomy between May 1982 and January 2000. The majority of patients had advanced cancer: hypopharyngeal in 131 cases and cervical oesophageal in 78 cases. Follow-up was complete for all patients. Chi 2 and log rank tests were used, with a limit of significance of 5%., Results: The postoperative mortality and morbidity rates were 4.8% and 38.3%, respectively. Alimentary continuity was achieved using the stomach (127 patients), colon (5 patients), or free jejunal autograft (77 patients). The 1-year and 5-year survival rates were 62% and 24%, respectively. There was no significant difference with regard to the survival between gastric transposition and free jejunal autograft, but there were fewer complications in the gastric pull-up group with regard to the respiratory complications (33% vs 47.0%, p < 0.05), local recurrences (15.8% vs 33.8%, p = 0.004) and survival without dysphagia (76% vs 89%, p < 10(-5))., Conclusion: Surgical ablation is a viable option for advanced hypopharyngeal and cervical oesophageal neoplasms, and stomach interposition is the preferred method of reconstruction.

The authors report a study about 12 cases of partial, total and extensive rhinectomy treated by a median "gingko flower" forehead flap. Technical adaptations are described to resolve the difficult problem of support and lining reconstruction. The authors compare their technique with the various other methods: the classical one (Converse scalping and sea-gull Millard's flaps) or more recent surgical solutions (distal composite flaps and expansion).

Recent evolution of breast reconstruction favorised autologous tissues, without prosthesis. 34 gluteal inferior free flaps have been performed in 30 patients aged from 33 to 72 years for immediate reconstruction (6) or secondary reconstruction (28), unilateral (26) or bilateral (8 flaps); after complete mastectomy (21 included a bilateral one), partial mastectomy (3), sub-cutaneous mastectomy with skin-sparing mastectomy (3 bilateral cases), radical mastectomy with radiolesion (2), non efficient reconstruction using prosthesis (2). The myocutaneous flap vascularized by gluteal inferior artery was anastomosed on thoracodorsal pedicle or on humeral vein. Added procedures have been symmetrizations (21), flap modifications (21), nipple reconstruction (20). Thirty three flaps presented good survey. Cosmetic results were excellent in five cases, good in 21 cases, middle in eight cases. Flap disadvantages were: possible failure of microsurgery with vessel thrombosis and flap necrosis, long operative time (average five hours), variable quality of the skin flap and hypoesthesia of the posterior area of buttock. Flap advantages were: the suffisant volume (300 to 500 g), the simple procedure to raise the flap (after specific training) and discrete scar of the donor site. This flap seems to be a excellent method for autologous mammary versus TRAM flap or latissimus dorsi added fat flap.

Thoracolumbar radionecrosis may be difficult to cover. We often use muscular or myocutaneus flaps available in this location, mainly the latissimus dorsi flap. It can be used as a pedicle, free, or especially a "reversed" flap with lumbar pedicles. However in our experience and in the literature this reversed flap is difficult to use because of the morbidity of the flap, transposed without its main pedicle. The authors consider the current methods of cover by flaps in six cases and in the literature. Surgical possibilities are now more numerous. First, a latissimus dorsi muscular flap autonomized by vascular delay, half-free flap, or a flap with the lengthening of its pedicle is possible. Second, we can also use an intercostal island flap for the back and a gluteal thigh flap in the lumbar region.

57 patients with cancer of the hypopharynx underwent 59 pharyngo-esophageal reconstructions with a free jejunal graft after total removal of a tumor combined with resection of the circumferential tissues. 18 patients had been previously irradiated. Median resumption of oral intake was 16 days; 40 out of 50 patients (98%) followed for more than 2 years regained normal eating habits. The cumulative 5-year survival rate was 44%. The free jejunal graft should be advocated as a safe and reliable procedure for hypopharyngeal cancer.

In pedicle musculocutaneous flaps, a local circulatory insufficiency with a total or subtotal ischemia may occur and jeopardize the result of the reconstructive surgery. Transcutaneous oxygen pressure (PtcO2) monitoring has been shown to reflect tissue perfusion and has been advocated to predict the final outcome of ischemic flaps. Unfortunately, under normal atmospheric conditions, this test is not sufficiently discriminative. We evaluate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen conditions on the efficiency of this test. Fifteen patients with pedicle musculocutaneous flap were evaluated by clinical examination and transcutaneous oxygen tension measurements. The final outcome was healing in 7 and failure in 8. In order to determine the predictive value of transcutaneous oxygen tension, measurements were done immediately after the surgical procedure. In ambient air, neither the absolute value of transcutaneous oxygen tension (2.6 +/- 3.6 versus 11.7 +/- 12.6 torr; N.S.) nor the difference or the ratio between the transcutaneous oxygen tension of the flap and the subclavicular reference shows any significant difference according to the outcome (failure or success). The same is true in normobaric oxygen. In hyperbaric oxygen, however, there is a significant difference in transcutaneous oxygen tension between the two groups (12 +/- 12 versus 378 +/- 385 torr; p < 0.01). A transcutaneous oxygen tension higher than 50 torr in hyperbaric oxygen (2.5 atm abs) is the best cutoff value to discriminate success from failure.