Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Società italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale
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Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital · Feb 1996
[Free-flap fibula for the reconstruction of composite mandibular defects].
The advent of microsurgery has revolutionized the reconstruction of composite tissue defects of the mandibular region. Well-vascularized bone and soft-tissues can be used to repair any kind of oromandibular defects and many of the morphological and functional goals of mandibular reconstruction can now be achieved. The ideal flap should provide a vascularized bone of sufficient length and height, easily shaped to match the original mandible with a thin, abundant soft-tissue component. ⋯ There was one flap failure for a venous thrombosis and in one case the flap was removed after 8 days for complications independent of the microvascular technique. Donor site morbidity was minimal with no significant gait disturbance. In conclusion, the advantages of microvascular surgery and the reliability of fibula free-flap make it an attractive and versatile option in one-stage reconstruction of composite tissue defects in the mandibular region.