title: Free omental flap reconstruction of complicated head and neck wounds.
abstract: Complicated wounds of the head and neck involve a severe deficiency of tissue in a contaminated or irradiated area that is predisposed to infection and necrosis. Reconstruction of these wound areas frequently requires multiple operations and prolonged hospitalization. We have successfully reconstructed complicated head and neck wounds in thirteen patients by means of a single-stage microvascular tissue transfer of the greater omentum with or without an attached segment of the stomach wall. There were 11 complete successes, two partial failures, and no complete failures. We describe four cases to illustrate the basic fundamentals of this reconstructive technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Chicago Medical Center, IL 60637.
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Panje
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Pitcock
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vargish
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009852:Omentum / Q000637:transplantation*; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014945:Wound Healing