BACKGROUND A cartilage wedge block and covering flap are standard procedures for firm elevation of the ear in microtia correction. However, using costal cartilage for elevation of the reconstructed auricle can be insufficient, and the fixed cartilage wedge block may be absorbed or may slip out. Furthermore, elevating covering flaps is time-consuming and uses up fascia, a potential source of rec...

SUMMARY Advancements in microsurgical techniques as applied to perforator flaps have made harvesting flaps in a free-style manner a practical reality. A hand-held Doppler identifies sizable perforators on which flaps can be based. In free-style free flap harvesting, any region of the body can be chosen as a donor site as long as there is an audible pulsatile Doppler signal. The value of the fre...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine the causes of head and neck free flap loss and to evaluate outcomes after subsequent microvascular and non-microvascular reconstruction. METHODS Patients who experienced free flap loss between 2000 and 2012 were reviewed. RESULTS There were 40 flap losses out of 3090 free flaps (1.3%). Twenty-eight patients underwent subsequent free flap...

BACKGROUND Upper tibia defects ,type3b Gustilo, due to huge size and volume are very difficult to reconstruct; usually several operations are needed for bone and soft tissue defects and the definite one stage reconstruction is yet to be found. OBJECTIVES In this article we reintroduce the rib- latissimus flap as an acceptable method to reconstruct tibia defects in selected cases. MATERIALS ...

We show that the free energy of the topological string admits a certain pole structure by using the operator formalism. Combined with the results of Peng that proved the integrality, this gives a combinatoric proof of the Gopakumar–Vafa conjecture.

BACKGROUND We present a novel method for augmenting the standard C-V flap used for nipple reconstruction with a free dermal graft which aims to improve the appearance of the nipple reconstruction, decrease loss of projection and improve patient satisfaction overall. METHODS The surgical technique for performing a free dermal graft augmentation of a CV flap is described. All patients who unde...

The copper-free click (CFC) reaction has been evaluated for its potential application to in vivo pre-targeting for PET imaging. A promising biodistribution profile is demonstrated when employing [(18)F]2-fluoroethylazide ([(18)F]1) and optimisation of the CFC reaction with a series of cyclooctynes shows that reactions proceed efficiently with tantalizing opportunities for application-specific t...

BACKGROUND Free flap surgery for head and neck defects has gained popularity as an advanced microvascular surgical technique. The aims of this study are first, to determine whether the known risk factors such as comorbidity, tobacco use, obesity, and radiation increase the complications of a free flap transfer, and second, to identify the incidence of complications in a radial forearm free flap...

the coverage of soft- tissue defects of the hand specially volar side needs special consideration. although certain local flaps have been described and used for resurfacing the palm, extensive injury requires distant or free flaps for coverage. abdominal pedicle flap has been traditionally used for extensive hand injuries, however there is no doubt that one of the ideal tissues for resurfacing ...