title: Reconstruction of advance head and neck cancer patients after tumor ablation with simultaneous multiple free flaps: indications and prognosis.
abstract: Simultaneous multiple free flaps have become a useful option in head and neck reconstructions. We performed a 10-year retrospective study between 2001 and 2010. There were 58 men and 1 woman. The overall mortality rate was 51.7%. The longest surviving patient is 9 years and 4 months, whereas the shortest surviving patient was 72 days. The mean survival period was 47.1 (6.8) months. Age (P = 0.755) and tumor size (P = 0.115) did not play a major role, but surgical margin, lymph node, and tumor recurrence were significant in patient survival with a P value of 0.026, 0.01, and 0.026, respectively. If wide excision with a margin that can be free of tumor can be performed, lymph nodes are not involved, and this is a primary tumor, then time and effort should be spent in a successful simultaneous multiple free flap reconstruction.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital, Dalin, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sou-Hsin
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.forename: Honda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Chieh-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Cheng-Yung
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chih-Hung Mark
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Chih-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D058752:Free Tissue Flaps; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate