title: Irradiation of the recipient site does not adversely affect successful free flap transfer in the repair of head and neck defects after salvage surgery for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma originally treated with radiotherapy.
abstract: Irradiation of the recipient site has been associated with postoperative complications and an increased rate of flap failure in facial reconstruction. The aim of this study was to report the outcomes of our use of four different types of flaps (two free and two pedicled) for the reconstruction of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with radiotherapy, who subsequently received salvage surgery after the development of recurrence or secondary primary tumours. The records of 12 NPC patients who underwent salvage surgery and reconstruction from 2002-2007 were retrospectively reviewed. There were no intraoperative or significant postoperative complications. All flaps survived. The average cosmetic outcome was 2.7 (1 = poor, 4 = excellent), all patients could tolerate a liquid to normal diet, and nine patients had normal or intelligible speech, while three exhibited slurred speech. These results indicate that the effects of irradiation on the recipient site do not appear to adversely affect successful flap transfer or outcomes.
authors: Department of Head and Neck Surgery and State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, PR China.
authors: Ming
authors: M
authors: Song
authors: Wen-Kuan
authors: WK
authors: Chen
authors: Quan
authors: Q
authors: Zhang
authors: Shu-Wei
authors: SW
authors: Chen
authors: Shi-Min
authors: SM
authors: Zhuang
authors: An-Kui
authors: AK
authors: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D058752:Free Tissue Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000637:transplantation; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000379:methods; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology