Nazım Çerkeş

Experience with Lateral Arm Flap in Hand and Forearm Defects

The lateral arm flap is currently one of the most frequently used free tissues. Easy dissection, constant anatomy and a long pedicle are the major advantages of this hap. 21 patients who had an upper extremity reconstruction with the lateral arm free flap are reviewed. The aetiology of the defects was electrical burn in 12 patients, thermal burn in 3 patients and trauma in 6 patients. The flap was transferred for distal forearm defects in 15 cases and for distal and volar soft tissue defects of hand in 6 cases. In 19 cases out of 2 1, the flaps were harvested from the ipsilateral limb. In 8 cases the transfers were performed under axillary block anesthesia. All transfers were successful and 4 cases required secondary thinning of flaps. In this presentation, indications and results with lateral arm flap will be discussed.

The folded double paddled free flap for oral cavity reconstruction

SummarySix radial forearm flaps, two transverse rectus abdominis flaps and one latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap were used in a bipaddled fashion for full thickness defects of the cheek and the floor of the mouth resulting from cancer resection. The flaps provided both intraoral lining and skin cover in all cases. Immediate reconstruction was carried out following tumor resection in six cases. In three patients who presented with large full thickness defects due to failure of primary reconstruction, late reconstruction with double paddled free flaps was performed. All transfers were successful, in the latissimus dorsi transfer a minimal area of necrosis occurred at the tip of the flap. A salivary fistula developed in two cases, both healed spontaneously up to three weeks postoperatively. The average operating time was 5.5 h; the average hospital stay was 13.4 days.

A case of bilateral supernumerary nostrils

SummaryA child with bilateral supernumerary nostrils is reported with the review of the literature regarding the relation between nasal embryology and the development of supernumerary nostrils.