title: Evaluating the donor site after harvest of free jejunum grafts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Free jejunal grafts are commonly used for reconstruction after surgery for hypopharyngeal and cervical esophageal cancer. However, few reports have addressed postoperative morbidity at the abdominal donor site.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative morbidity and postoperative complications were analyzed in 126 patients in whom free jejunal grafts had been harvested from 1992 through 1996.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although 27 patients had previously undergone abdominal surgery, there was no correlation between previous abdominal surgery and abdominal complications after graft harvest (p >.25). Abdominal complications were not correlated with patient age (p >.25).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that previous abdominal surgery (except on the ileum) and patient age are not contraindications to free jejunal graft harvest.
authors: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Head Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, 6-5-1 Kashiwanoha Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan. Kuchiyam@east.ncc.go.jp
authors: Kiyotaka
authors: K
authors: Uchiyama
authors: Yoshihiro
authors: Y
authors: Kimata
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Ebihara
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Nakatsuka
authors: Kiyonori
authors: K
authors: Harii
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007583:Jejunum / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D014019:Tissue Donors; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting