Magnitude of radial forearm free flaps and factors associated with loss of volume in oral cancer reconstructive surgery: Prospective study

Background Adequate flap volume is key to maintaining oral function after oral cancer surgery. This study aimed to evaluate changes in radial forearm free flap (RFFF) volumes after 1 year of follow‐up following ablative tumor surgery in the head and neck. Methods A prospective study that recorded th...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Head & neck 2021-08, Vol.43 (8), p.2405-2413
Main Authors: Wang, Si‐Min, Yin, Shou‐Cheng, Su, Xing‐Zhou, Xu, Qiang, Liu, Yi‐Hao, Xu, Zhong‐Fei
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Forearm
Head & neck cancer
MRI
Oral cancer
radial forearm free flap
Radiation therapy
radiotherapy
Reconstructive surgery
Surgery
volume change
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background Adequate flap volume is key to maintaining oral function after oral cancer surgery. This study aimed to evaluate changes in radial forearm free flap (RFFF) volumes after 1 year of follow‐up following ablative tumor surgery in the head and neck. Methods A prospective study that recorded the clinical data of 20 patients with head and neck cancer who underwent RFFF reconstruction. Magnetic resonance (MR) and Mimics Research 19.0 software were used to measure the RFFF volumes at 1, 3, 6, and 12 postoperative months. Results Compared with one postoperative month, the RFFF volume decreased by 15.5%, 29.4%, and 42.0% at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively, after surgery. A significant positive correlation between postoperative radiotherapy and RFFF volume changes was detected. Conclusion The volume of RFFF decreases with time. It is recommended to use overcorrection, with a 40% increase in RFFF volume, to reconstruct head and neck tumor‐related defects.
ISSN:1043-3074
1097-0347
DOI:10.1002/hed.26704