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Published on: September 29, 2018
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Free Tissue Transfer in Head and Neck Reconstruction: A Multidisciplinary 15-Year Experience.
Athanasios Papanikolaou1, Laetitia Guarino1, Roland Giger2
1Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland.
Clinics and Practice
|July 25, 2023
Summary
Free tissue transfer is a reliable method for head and neck reconstruction, achieving a 97.7% success rate. While complication rates are high (45.9%), they rarely impact the final outcome when managed by a multidisciplinary team.
Area of Science:
- Head and Neck Surgery
- Reconstructive Surgery
- Microsurgery
Background:
- Free tissue transfer is the gold standard for extensive head and neck defect reconstruction.
- This study analyzes outcomes from a 15-year retrospective review at a tertiary referral university hospital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the outcomes of free tissue transfers in head and neck reconstruction.
- To assess success rates and complication profiles in a large patient cohort.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective, single-center study of 353 free flaps performed between 2006 and 2020.
- Assessment of patient demographics, comorbidities, flap types, outcomes, and complications.
Main Results:
- The most common indication was oncologic resection (74.2%).
- High comorbidity rates (70.3%) including smoking (46.2%) and alcohol use (31.7%) were noted.
- Anterolateral thigh and osteoseptocutaneous fibula flaps were most frequent; success rate was 97.7% with a 45.9% complication rate.
Conclusions:
- Free tissue transfer is a reliable technique for head and neck reconstruction.
- High complication rates are linked to case complexity and patient comorbidities.
- Multidisciplinary team management minimizes the impact of complications on overall reconstruction success.
