Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND: Microvascular reconstruction of the pediatric mandible, particularly when necessitated by severe, congenital hypoplasia, presents a formidable challenge. Complex cases, however, may be simplified by computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) assisted surgical planning. This series represents the senior authors' preliminary experiences with CAD/CAM assisted, microvascular reconstruction of the pediatric mandible. METHODS: Presented are two patients with hemifacial/bifacial microsomia, both with profound mandibular hypoplasia, who underwent CAD/CAM assisted reconstruction of their mandibles with vascularized fibula flaps. Surgical techniques, CAD/CAM routines employed, complications, and long-term outcomes are reported. RESULTS: Successful mandibular reconstructions were achieved in both patients with centralization of their native mandibles and augmentation of deficient mandibular subunits. No long-term complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: CAD/CAM technology can be utilized in pediatric mandibular reconstruction, and is particularly beneficial in cases of profound, congenital hypoplasia requiring extensive, multi-planar, bony reconstructions.

Oral cancers are often severely painful and clinically difficult to manage. Few researchers have investigated the neurobiologic factors responsible for cancer pain; however, the study of oral cancer pain might inform us about the fundamental biology of cancer. The purpose of the present report was to summarize the clinical challenges inherent in oral cancer pain management, oral cancer pain mechanisms and mediators, and the convergence of the investigation of carcinogenesis and pain.

True arterial aneurysms of the upper extremity are rare. The case described is that of a 48-year-old man presenting with median neuropathy and distal vascular compromise 4 years after ligation of a brachiocephalic arteriovenous fistula. We describe our approach and present a review of the relevant literature.

PURPOSE: Facial fractures in the pediatric population have a significant impact on public health. Although some demographic data exists regarding the overall epidemiology of facial fractures, little attention has been paid to the patterns of facial fractures based on the etiology of the trauma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Kids' Inpatient Database 2000-2009 was utilized to analyze pediatric facial fractures. A total of 21,533 patients were identified. Associations of patient characteristics with outcomes of interest were assessed. RESULTS: The top three etiologies were motor vehicle accident (MVA), intentional trauma (IT), and falls. There was a decrease in the incidence of facial fractures due to MVAs and an increase in injuries due to IT and falls. Concomitant injuries were present in 58.8% and the mortality rate was 2%. The rate of concomitant injuries increased during study period. Age was significantly associated with concomitant injury, mortality, and LOS. CONCLUSION: The increasing rate of IT and falls with concomitant injury warrants special consideration to reduce undiagnosed accompanying injuries. Further programs should be put in place to protect children younger than 5 years of age, who have increased risk of concomitant injury and mortality following intentional trauma.

Primary ventral hernias and ventral incisional hernias have been a challenge for surgeons throughout the ages. In the current era, incisional hernias have increased in prevalence due to the very high number of laparotomies performed in the 20(th) century. Even though minimally invasive surgery and hernia repair have evolved rapidly, general surgeons have yet to develop the ideal, standardized method that adequately decreases common postoperative complications, such as wound failure, hernia recurrence and pain. The evolution of laparoscopy and ventral hernia repair will be reviewed, from the rectoscopy of the 4(th) century to the advent of laparoscopy, from suture repair to the evolution of mesh reinforcement. The nuances of minimally invasive ventral and incisional hernia repair will be summarized, from preoperative considerations to variations in intraoperative practice. New techniques have become increasingly popular, such as primary defect closure, retrorectus mesh placement, and concomitant component separation. The advent of robotics has made some of these repairs more feasible, but only time and well-designed clinical studies will tell if this will be a durable modality for ventral and incisional hernia repair.

Metastatic tumors are the most common cranial neoplasms in adults. Skull metastases from rare primary tumors, such as cholangiocarcinoma or pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, are extremely uncommon and rarely reported. Given the scarcity and variation of these rare skull metastases, treatments and outcomes of such patients are of interest to treating surgeons. The authors describe the treatment algorithm, course, and outcomes of 2 patients with rare gastrointestinal skull metastases. The first patient had intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma metastatic to the skull, while the second patient developed a solitary skull metastasis secondary to a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. As part of this report, the authors include a literature review of rare skull metastases as well as the treatment of these 2 patients. Both the patients ultimately underwent successful resection of the tumor for relief of their clinical symptoms. Wide resections in both patients necessitated reconstruction using a free latissimus dorsi muscle flap in both the patients. Preoperative embolization of the hypervascular cholangiocarcinoma skull metastasis was performed prior to resection in the first patient. To date, there have been only 4 such reports of skull metastases from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and limited reported cases of isolated skull metastases from a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor.In patients with large or numerous skull metastasis from rare primary tumors, surgical resection should be considered for symptomatic improvement. In cases of hypervascular lesions, preoperative embolization can be considered to decrease the intraoperative bleeding. Free tissue transfers using myocutaneous flaps such as latissimus dorsi help in obliterating dead space, and creating a healthy soft tissue envelope to withstand postoperative radiation treatment. In addition, a chimeric flap can be designed to include additional muscle or soft tissue to obliterate and exclude the sinus cavities.