The omentum: its use as a free vascularized graft for reconstruction of the head and neck

The experience at Emory University Affiliated Hospitals with transplantation of the greater omentum as a free revascularized graft in 18 patients is presented. In each instance, there was realization of the therapeutic objective, either 1) the amelioration of congenital or acquired somatic deformity (14 patients) or 2) the control of infection (4 patients). Because the omentum is a syncytium of blood vessels and a variable amount of fat within redundant leaves of peritoneal membrane laden with macrophages, it is a tissue that serves admirably its extended role as an extracelomic free transplant. The greater omentum has been used for this purpose in five patients with hemifacial atrophy (Romberg's disease); three patients with hemifacial microsomia (first and second branchial arch syndrome); two patients with extensive losses of the maxilla, palate, and face due to a shotgun blast; two patients with atrophy and facial growth arrest due to x-irradiation; and two patients with deformity of the jaw and neck following tumor resection. In three additional patients, the omentum was used to obliterate the dead space after debridement of an infected open frontal sinus following failure of conventional therapy. In one instance, a revascularized free graft of omentum was used to salvage a patient with an exposed irradiated carotid artery graft and skin flap failure following radical neck dissection. In these 18 patients, there were no intra-abdominal complications consequent to harvest of the omentum. In one patient afflicted with hemifacial atrophy, there was spotty necrosis of the overlying attenuated facial skin flap and limited fat necrosis. In the follow-up period of four months to seven years, there has been no instance of late resorption. The method is reliable and has considerable promise in reconstructive surgery.