Journal Reviews
CAD/CAM assisted mandibular reconstruction free hand: is there a difference?
The gold standard for the reconstruction of the mandible is a free bony flap, the fibula is commonly used. The fibula is a straight bone and indeed all the other donor sites present various other considerations and difficulties, to allow...
An overview of microsurgical reconstruction of the head and neck worldwide
Microsurgical reconstruction is an integral part of the treatment following ablation for malignancy or trauma. Currently there are no clear treatment guidelines following tumour resection. This was recognised a few years ago and in 2008 various collaborative groups were founded...
ERAS in microvascular breast reconstruction
Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is an important concept in today’s accountancy dominated hospitals, effectively decreasing the length of stay (LOS) of postoperative patients. This is something that surgeons will have to consider – or have protocols foisted upon them...
Harvesting the flexor hallucis longus what is the increased morbidity
The free fibula flap and its variations are now widely used in various clinical applications for microvascular reconstructions. Occasionally and to add bulk the flexor hallucis longus (FHL) muscle is harvested along with the fibula. Additionally, the postoperative morbidity is...
Additional venous anastomoses to safeguard DIEP flaps
That DIEP flaps can be troublesome is not news and many descriptions exist trying to circumvent these problems. The most common problem is venous congestion in the flap and this paper presents an ingenious method of anticipating and forestalling such...
Infection and sepsis in burns: potential clinical predictors
In this retrospective study, the authors attempt to identify the most reliable predictors of early infection (within 10 days) in acute burns patients to try to reduce unnecessary antibiotic therapy. They recognise that infections and sepsis represent the leading cause...
Superficial lymphatics of the abdominal wall in lymphatic microsurgery
This elegant and beautifully illustrated article requires to be carefully studied in its entirety by any surgeon planning to carry out lymphovenous anastomoses or vascularised lymph node transfer in the groin area. As the authors point out, the most difficult...
