What is a free fibula flap?
A fibular free flap is one way of filling a bony hole in either the upper or lower jaw. It is one of the common ways of replacing bone that has been removed for cancer treatment.
How long does a free fibula flap take?
Your head and neck surgeon will remove the tumor from your jaw and the soft tissue around it. At the same time, your plastic surgeon will remove the bone, tissue, and skin from your donor site. This will take 3 to 4 hours.
How do you harvest fibula?
– Technique: The fibula is approached through a lateral incision simultaneous to the hip approach. The surgeon stands on the posterior side. The incision is planned on a line directly over the fibula. The fibular bone cuts will be 15 cm apart with the distal cut at 10 cm proximal from the distal fibular tip.
How long does a fibula bone graft take to heal?
Your recovery may take 2 weeks to 3 months. The bone graft itself will take up to 3 months or longer to heal. You may be told to avoid extreme exercise for up to 6 months.
What is a free flap reconstruction?
What is free flap reconstruction surgery? “Free flap,” also known as “free tissue transfer,” is a term for a procedure in which tissue and its blood supply (artery and vein) are surgically removed from one part of the body and transferred to another area of the body for the purpose of reconstruction.
How long does it take to recover from free flap surgery?
When your sutures are removed, use an electric razor on and around the free flap or reconstructed area. Don’t take baths or use hot tubs and swimming pools until your incisions are completely healed. This is usually 4 to 6 weeks after your surgery.
How long does it take for a free flap to heal?
Can you talk after a Mandibulectomy?
The muscles of the tongue, cheeks, and floor of the mouth connect to the mandible. Therefore, swallowing and speaking will be different after surgery. A speech therapist will work with the patient to retrain the muscles. This will either happen while the patient is in the hospital or clinic.
How do you harvest a fibula graft?
To harvest a vascularized fibular graft, the peroneal vascular pedicle is dissected proximally to its bifurcation from the tibial vessels. One peroneal vein is ligated and divided. The tourniquet is then deflated.
How do you harvest fibular strut grafts?
The fibula were harvested by two separate incisions, 1 cm each at proximal and distal extent of proposed donor site for taking out of graft after elevating the periosteum circumferentially using a periosteum stripper.
How do you harvest a fibular graft?
How long does a free flap take to heal?
The donor area of partial thickness skin grafts usually takes about 2 weeks to heal. For full thickness skin grafts, the donor area only takes about 5 to 10 days to heal, because it’s usually quite small and closed with stitches.
How do you harvest a fibula flap?
Fibula Flap Harvest The patient is placed in the supine position with a bump under the ipsilateral hip to lessen the need for excessive internal rotation of the lower leg. Alternatively, the lateral decubitus position can be used, with the harvest leg placed up and the patient held in position with a beanbag.
How is the septum harvested from the fibula?
When harvesting the osteocutaneous flap, the septum is harvested in continuity with the paddle of skin and fascia of the lateral leg. Cross section of the lower leg distal to neck of fibula. The peroneal artery runs deep to the fibula, just posterior to the interosseous membrane.
How long should the flap of a breast reconstruction be harvested?
The harvested flap should include: Longitudinally the flap should be harvested long enough to complete the reconstruction. The skin flap can be harvested to a length varying from 10-30 cm and a width of 4-14 cm depending on the size of the patient. The bone can be harvest to a length of 6 – 26 cm depending on the size of the patient.
How reliable is the skin paddle harvested with the fibula flap?
The reliability of the skin paddle harvested with the fibula flap has been questioned. Strategies to increase reliability have included harvesting a greater length of paddle and septum and trying to predict the location of septal perforators.