Introduction Prompt attention to the ophthalmic manifestations of facial nerve paralysis is crucial to the care of affected patients. Loss of facial nerve function causes numerous functional and cosmetic deficits in the periocular region. These include poor eyelid closure with…
Introduction Neural injury, repair, and subsequent recovery are widely studied, since these topics relate to the entire human body. There are few other regions of the body where impaired nerve function can be more devastating than in the head and…
Introduction Cranioplasty is the main reconstructive procedure in neurosurgery. Cranial defects can vary widely in size and etiology; they include traumatic, infectious, tumor, vascular, and iatrogenic defects. The majority of large defects created in modern neurosurgery are a result of…
Introduction Rib graft is a useful adjunct for the reconstruction of the craniofacial skeleton and can be harvested in multiple forms to fit different situations. Rib graft may be harvested as a long, pliable bone graft. This is commonly used…
Introduction Calvarial graft may be the preferred bone graft for reconstruction of much of the craniofacial skeleton. Both cortical and cancellous bone can be harvested in relative abundance. Cortical calvarial bone graft is pliable, allowing for reconstruction of the complex…
Acknowledgment Case material kindly shared by Dr. Ernest K. Manders. Introduction Free fascial grafts and allogeneic options, such as acellular dermis like Alloderm, are available for use in various settings of head and neck reconstruction. There are many sources of…
Introduction There are two basic types of skin grafts: full-thickness and split-thickness skin grafts (FTSGs and STSGs, respectively). Full-thickness grafts are composed of epidermis and full-thickness dermis, including adnexal structures, whereas split-thickness grafts are composed of epidermis and varying amounts…
Introduction Regional pedicle flaps for reconstruction of the head and neck are most commonly harvested from ventral body surfaces due to the favorable patient positioning, location close to the primary defect, and familiar anatomy. Flaps from the dorsal body surface…
Introduction Historically, regional flaps from the cervicofacial region have played a key role in the reconstruction of defects in the head and neck. A regional flap is a vascularized tissue flap that is pedicled on an axial blood supply and…
Introduction Regional flaps play an important role in reconstructive surgery of the head and neck. Introduced in 1979, the pectoralis major musculocutaneous flap was an important improvement over the deltopectoral flap and multistage tissue transfers that had dominated the reconstruction…