What is fibula flap surgery?
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?
If the sural nerve is to be harvested as a vascularized nerve, it should be elevated with the skin paddle when that is done by including it in subcutaneous tissue elevated with the skin paddle. The majority of the flap is dissected under tourniquet. The time should not exceed 2 hours.
Can you walk after a fibula free flap?
The patient may move in a no weight-bearing fashion on the second postoperative day. The splint is removed and the skin graft is assessed on the fifth postoperative day. The patient is then allowed to walk with the help of a walker or other assistive devices.
How do you harvest a fibular 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 long after fibula surgery can I walk?
“Typically, it’s non-weight-bearing or limited weight-bearing for six weeks,” says Dr. Rios. “Most fractures will have some degree of protected weight-bearing for 10-12 weeks, then at least another month to fully rehabilitate.”
How long does pain last after fibula surgery?
You can expect some pain and swelling around the cut (incision) the doctor made. This should get better within a few days after your surgery. But it is normal to have some pain for 2 to 3 weeks after surgery and mild pain for up to 6 weeks after surgery.
How do you graft a fibula?
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 long does it take to walk after fibula surgery?
Fibula Healing, Quickly and Completely Fibular fracture treatment usually takes four to six weeks, as long as the patient doesn’t try to return to action too soon. Complications are uncommon, and include: Non-union of a bone that doesn’t ‘knit’ back together. Bone heals in an awkward position.
What is fibula free flap surgery?
The fibula free flap takes bone, muscle, skin and blood vessels from the patient’s lower leg and uses that to rebuild the structures of the face/jaws. What Does Fibula Free Flap Surgery Involve?
What is the fibula free flap technique for oromandibular reconstruction?
The fibula free flap approach allows the possibility of using bone with/without skin for restoring the defect. Here, we aimed to establish the preplating technique for oromandibular reconstruction in a step-by-step fashion, based on 41 patients. The surgical technique is expounded in 8-10 steps.
When did the fibular flap become a bone graft?
Introduction In 1989, the first lower-jaw reconstruction with a fibular flap, using osteotomies to mimic the shape of the mandible, was described. Since then, the use of the revascularized free fibula flap as bone graft has become a cornerstone in the head-neck armamentarium.
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.