Lessons Learned from Unfavorable Microsurgical Head and Neck Reconstruction

The risk of surgical site infection (SSI) remains high after major reconstructive surgery of the head and neck. Clinical data regarding SSI in microsurgical tongue reconstruction are described at National Cancer Hospital in Japan, including discussions of unfavorable representative cases, the relationship between SSI and preoperative irradiation at Okayama University Hospital in Japan, and strategies for SSI control in head and neck reconstruction. Local complications are inevitable in patients undergoing reconstruction in the head and neck areas. The frequency of major complications can be decreased, and late postoperative complications can be prevented with the help of appropriate methods.

Key points

  • The risk of surgical site infection (SSI) remains high after major reconstructive surgery of the head and neck. The authors describe their clinical data regarding SSI in microsurgical tongue reconstruction at National Cancer Hospital in Japan.

  • The relationship between SSI and preoperative irradiation at Okayama University Hospital in Japan was described. The data indicated a poor response to local infection in patients receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

  • Strategies for SSI control in head and neck reconstruction were described.

Various defects in the head and neck region have been successfully reconstructed with the development of microsurgical techniques. However the risk of local postoperative complications, including surgical site infection (SSI), still remains high after major reconstructive surgeries in the head and neck area. This high rate of complications is probably because of the complex anatomy of this area, the effect of preoperative cancer treatment, and the contamination of the intraoral and pharynx environment. In this article, the authors describe their clinical data concerning SSI in microsurgical tongue reconstruction at the National Cancer Hospital in Japan, unfavorable representative cases, the relationship between SSI and preoperative irradiation at Okayama University Hospital in Japan, and the strategy of control for SSI in head and neck reconstruction.

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Nov 21, 2017 | Posted by in Dental Materials | Comments Off on Lessons Learned from Unfavorable Microsurgical Head and Neck Reconstruction

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