title: Secondary free-tissue reconstruction for metachronous tumors of the head and neck: techniques, results, and outcomes.
abstract: Malignancies of the head and neck are not uncommon in the Far East due to the habit of betel-nut chewing. The development of a second primary neoplasm is a constant fear for those who have had successful treatment of a primary cancer. A total of 82 patients, treated with microvascular reconstruction after surgical resection of head and neck cancer, were studied retrospectively. Twenty-one patients who had repeated reconstructive microsurgery for a second primary head and neck malignancy were enrolled as the study group. Sixty-one patients treated for the first-diagnosed malignancy were considered as the control group. There were no statistical differences between the two groups, either in terms of operation time, hospital stay, successful rate, or complication rate. The results show that, if required, one should not hesitate to repeat the free-tissue transfer after ablating a second primary neoplasm.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery and Center for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Honda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Lee-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Tzong-Bor
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Peir-Rong
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Sou-Hsin
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chien
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000637:transplantation*; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000145:classification; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome