Volumetric changes in the transferred flap after anterior craniofacial reconstruction

The goal of craniofacial reconstruction is not only life-saving but also facial aesthetics. From this viewpoint the authors evaluated the facial symmetry of patients after craniofacial reconstruction. The subjects were seven patients reconstructed after craniofacial resections. Their CT or MR images were evaluated just after surgery, 1 month after surgery, and 6 months after surgery. Based on these images, the proportion of simple area (PSA) and the proportion of overlapped area (POA) were calculated. The PSA is the proportion of the reconstructed quarter to the contralateral one, and the POA is the proportion of the overlapped area in the reconstructed quarter to the normal one. These values were assessed in two groups: five patients without and two with split calvarial bone grafts. Results demonstrated that the volumetric change of the reconstructed face with the bone graft was relatively stable.