Affiliation:
1. Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, USA
2. Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, San Antonio Military Medical Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
Abstract
Background: Dynamic rehabilitation of longstanding facial palsy with damaged, atrophied, or absent facial muscles requires replacement of neural and muscular components. The ideal reconstruction would include a fast-twitch muscle that is small, a reliable donor vessel and nerve, and the potential to provide a natural, synchronous, dentate smile with minimal donor site morbidity. Many flaps have been successfully used historically, but none has produced ideal rehabilitation. Objective: To evaluate the novel sterno-omohyoid, dual-vector flap in rehabilitation of chronic facial paralysis. Results: We performed sterno-omohyoid free tissue transfer for smile reanimation in a 39-year-old male with a history of longstanding right facial palsy following resection of a skull base tumor several years previously. We transferred both muscles with the superior thyroid artery, middle thyroid vein, and ansa cervicalis. The patient developed a dynamic smile by 6 months postoperatively, and he had improved objective facial symmetry. Conclusion: Herein, we demonstrate the first use of the sterno-omohyoid flap for successful facial reanimation. Overall, it is a novel flap in facial reanimation with many advantages over traditional flaps, including the potential to produce a more synchronous, dynamic smile while adding minimal bulk to the face. Future series will better elucidate the potential of the sterno-omohyoid flap.
Subject
General Medicine,Otorhinolaryngology
Cited by
7 articles.
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