Uğur Koçer

Reconstruction of mandible with fibula free flap.

The fibula can be used as a donor for a free flap for mandible reconstruction. It has the advantages of low donor site morbidity, consistent shape, ample length, and distant location to enable a two‐team approach, allowing multiple osteotomies because of its periosteal circulation. It can be raised with a skin island for composite tissue reconstruction. Eight segmental mandibular defects (average 11.62 cm) were reconstructed following resection for tumour. Six defects consisted of bone alone and the other two had only a small amount of associated intraoral soft‐tissue loss. Two patients underwent primary reconstruction. We performed two or three osteotomies on each graft and used miniplates and wires for bone fixation. The flaps survived in all patients. All osteotomy sites healed primarily. The aesthetic result of reconstruction was satisfactory.

Giant pilomatrixoma in adult

Pilomatrixoma is a relatively common tumor in the head and neck of children. It occurs usually as a solitary subcutaneous tumor attached to the skin surface with occasional episodes of tenderness and inflammation, and it is usually smaller than 3 cm in diameter. This report presents a 60-year-old male with a 12×10×6 cm giant pilomatrixoma on his left forearm; his surgical treatment and the differential diagnosis are presented.

Reconstruction of complex defects with composite calvarial flaps

Over the past four years, composite calvarial flaps have been used to reconstruct complex defects in 14 patients. In three of the patients they were free flaps for hand reconstruction. Clinical application (technical details) and complications are also discussed.

Treatment of vaginal agenesis with modified Abb-Mclndoe technique

In a patient with vaginal agenesis reconstruction of the neovagina is very important both functionally and psychologically. The absent vagina can be constructed either by surgery or by an intermittent pressure technique defined by Frank. In this paper simple modification is presented which has good anatomical and functional results. For a young woman without a vagina the ideal operation should create a vagina in one stage and at the same time produce a cosmetically attractive scar. This goal can be achieved by the Abbé-McIndoe technique. A modification using a meshed split thickness skin graft for lining the neovagina is presented. Between 1985–1991 in our clinic, 46 patients were treated. A follow-up study has been performed and biopsies were taken from this neovagina; these showed normal vaginal mucosa.

Maxillary myxoma in children

Osseous myxomas are rare, slow growing, locally invasive, histologically benign, mesenchymal tumours that generally arise in the second and third decades of life. They are almost always seen in the facial skeleton, being less frequent in the maxilla than the mandible. These tumours are especially uncommon in children and present difficult diagnostic and therapeutic problems. The small amount of biopsy material may make diagnosis difficult, and if resection is conservative, the recurrence rate may be high. A literature review revealed only 20 reported cases of maxillary myxoma in patients aged 14 years or less. The purpose of this report is to add our case to the literature.