It Takes Two: One Resects, One Reconstructs

Shabnam Ghazizadeh; Edward C Kuan; Jon Mallen-St Clair; Elliot Abemayor; Quang Luu; Vishad Nabili; Maie A St John

doi:10.1016/j.otc.2017.03.010

It Takes Two: One Resects, One Reconstructs

Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2017 Aug;50(4):747-753. doi: 10.1016/j.otc.2017.03.010.

Authors

Shabnam Ghazizadeh¹, Edward C Kuan¹, Jon Mallen-St Clair², Elliot Abemayor³, Quang Luu⁴, Vishad Nabili⁴, Maie A St John⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, CHS 62-132, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
² UCSF, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, San Francisco, CA 90095, USA.
³ UCLA Head and Neck Cancer Program, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, CHS 62-132, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
⁴ Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, CHS 62-132, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
⁵ UCLA Head and Neck Cancer Program, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address: mstjohn@mednet.ucla.edu.

PMID: 28755704
DOI: 10.1016/j.otc.2017.03.010

Abstract

Care of patients with advanced head and neck cancer is a multidisciplinary effort through all phases of care. Head and neck cancer surgery involves balancing oncologic control, functional preservation, and aesthetics. Given the advances in free tissue reconstruction, the majority of defects can be reconstructed using free tissue transfer flaps. A 2-team approach allows for early, continual communication and meticulous operative planning. Operations can be combined into a single effort. This approach maximizes efficiency and enables multidisciplinary collaboration for comprehensive surgical treatment. We present our experience and an outline of how responsibilities between the ablative and reconstructive teams are shared.

Keywords: Head and neck oncology; Microvascular; Reconstruction; Surgical technique; Two-team approach.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Case Management / standards*
Free Tissue Flaps / surgery*
Head and Neck Neoplasms / surgery*
Humans
Operative Time
Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
Patient Care Team / organization & administration*
Plastic Surgery Procedures / methods