Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2025
Porcine As a Training Module for Head and Neck Microvascular Reconstruction
Published on: September 29, 2018
Free flap reconstruction following head and neck trauma
Larissa Sweeny1,2, Anne C Kane3, Carissa M Thomas4
1Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.
Background:
Free flap (FF) reconstruction of traumatic injuries to the head and neck is uncommon.
Methods:
Multi-institutional retrospective case series of patients undergoing FF reconstruction for a traumatic injury (n = 103).
Results:
Majority were gunshot wounds (GSW; 85%, n = 88) and motor vehicle accidents (11%, n = 11). Majority underwent osseous reconstruction (82%, n = 84). FF failures (9%, n = 9/103) occurred in GSW patients (100%, n = 9/9) and when multiple subsites were injured (89%, n = 8/9). Preoperative antibiotics correlated with lower rates of a neck washouts (4% vs. 19%) (p = 0.01) and 30-day readmissions (4% vs. 17%) (p = 0.02).
Conclusions:
All FF failures occurred in the setting of a GSW and the majority involved multiple subsites. Preoperative antibiotics correlated with lower rates of postoperative washout procedures and 30-day readmission.
