The nose represents the most common site for the presentation of cutaneous cancer, especially in sun-exposed areas: ala, dorsum, and tip. Even the smallest loss of substance can create aesthetic and psychosocial concerns for patients; therefore, surgeons who perform nasal reconstruction should be strictly confident with the pertinent surgical anatomy in order to tailor the procedure to the patient’s condition and needs. Radical tumor excision and satisfactory aesthetic and functional results are primary targets. Restoring the original shape is the goal of any reconstruction: appropriate reshaping of three-dimensional geometry, proper establishment of symmetry, and excellent color and texture match to the adjacent structures are paramount features. Multiple options exist to re-establish functional and aesthetic integrity after surgical oncology; nevertheless, the management of nasal defects can be often challenging, and the gold standard is yet to be found. The current goal is to highlight some of the more common techniques used to reconstruct cutaneous defects of the nose with a specific focus on decision making based on the aesthetic subunit and defect size. The authors attempt to share common pitfalls and offer practical suggestions that they have found helpful in their clinical experience.
Background and Objectives: Lymphedema is an important and underestimated condition, and this progressive chronic disease has serious implications on patients’ quality of life. The main goal of research would be to prevent lymphedema, instead of curing it. Patients receiving radiotherapy after lymph node dissection have a significantly higher risk of developing lymphedema. Through the prophylactic use of microsurgical lymphaticovenular anastomoses in selected patients, we could prevent the development of lymphedema. Materials and Methods: Six patients who underwent prophylactic lymphaticovenular anastomoses in a distal site to the axillary or groin region after axillary or inguinal complete lymph node dissection followed by radiotherapy were analyzed. Patients characteristics, comorbidities, operative details, postoperative complications and follow-up assessments were recorded. Results: Neither early nor late generic surgical complications were reported. We observed no lymphedema development throughout the post-surgical follow-up. In particular, we observed no increase in limb diameter measured at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Conclusion: In our experience, performing LVA after axillary or groin lymphadenectomy and after adjuvant radiotherapy, and distally to the irradiated area, allows us to ensure the long-term patency of anastomoses in order to obtain the best results in terms of reducing the risk of iatrogenic lymphedema. This preliminary report is encouraging, and the adoption of our approach should be considered in selected patients.
26 February 2022 in Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery
Reconstructive surgery of the medial canthus is among one of the most challenging due to its complex anatomy and aesthetic features. In this area even the slightest deformity or asymmetry is noticeable. Reconstructive surgery of this anatomical region aims to restore the tissue defect ensuring an appropriate aesthetic and functional feature, restoring colour, thickness and consistency of the replaced tissue. Orbicularis oculi myocutaneous flap is an option to reconstruct the medial canthal region; in this paper the authors present their experience with orbicularis oculi myocutaneous flap in 10 patients with medial canthal malignant lesions. The patients' postoperative period was uneventful, the flaps usually showed some degree of temporary venous congestion during the first days after surgery, and any donor site morbidity was observed: no lid lag, ectropion, ptosis, or other eyelid deformity. This flap offers a similarity in texture, colour, and thickness to the recipient site and a negligible incidence of donor site morbidity, and it can be easily tailored to fit the shape of the soft tissue defect.
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic and debilitating disease that primarily affects the axillary, inguinal and anogenital areas. The treatment requires wide surgical excision of the affected tissue with adequate free margins in order to avoid recurrence. However, axillary and inguinal regions reconstruction after HS excision still represents a big challenge; the large defect can be closed using flaps, which allows more rapid rehabilitation and minimizes the risk of later scar contracture. In this report is discussed our experience with reconstruction of severe bilateral hidradenitis lesions of the axillary and inguinal areas in a young woman. Bilateral thoracodorsal artery perforator flaps were used for the axillary reconstruction while profunda artery perforator flap and direct suture were used respectively for left and right inguinal region.
About Me
Diletta Maria Pierazzi is a resident in plastic surgery.
Diletta Maria Pierazzi is a resident in plastic surgery.