Lateral Arm Free Flap: a Useful Flap in the Maxillo-facial Surgeon's Therapeutic Armory, Case Series

Lateral arm free flap harvesting has been well described, it however remains underused compared to other free flaps such as radial forearm and anterolateral thigh free flap. Due to its easy harvesting, low donor site morbidity, versatility as well as useful possibilities of modifications it should be considered more often as valuable reconstruction option in head and neck defect. With this publication we want to describe the operative technique, illustrate it with postoperative pictures and describe the outcome with 8 of our cases operated at University Hospital In Lausanne, Switzerland.

The aim of this study is to be a useful tool for young surgeons and demonstrate the advantages of this useful flap in head and neck reconstructions.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Reconstructive Surgery
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Lateral arm free flap

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 8

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Switzerland
  • Vaud
    • Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland, 1011
      • CHUV oral and maxillofacial surgery

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Between 2021 and 2022, 8 patients (1 woman and 7 men) underwent reconstruction with a lateral arm free flap in Lausanne, Switzerland (Table 1). Their ages ranged from 52 to 87 years, with a mean age of 65.25 years. The reconstruction site varied from the exenterated orbita for two patients, internal cheek for two patients, retromolar mandible, palate, mouth floor and frontotemporal each for one patient. Reconstruction was done in all patients for oncologic reason. Six patients received primary reconstruction during the same surgery as the tumorectomy and for two patients' reconstruction was done in a second surgery.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• > 18 years old
• operated between 01 january 2021 and 12 december 2022
• lateral arm free flap operation for primary or secondary cervicofacial reconstruction
• written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• minor patients
• no written informed consent

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Flap complication	Description of free flap outcome: revision, complete or partial survival	01.01.2021-12.01.2022

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Patient complication	general complcation such as cardiac, pulmonary, neurologic complcation	01.01.2021-12.01.2022
oral food intke	days after surgery when oral food intake is allowed	01.01.2021-12.01.2022
revision of anastomoses	secondary look for patency of anastomoses because of free flap suffering	01.01.2021-12.01.2022

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: CHUV chirurgie orale et maxillofaciale
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Laurence May, MD, CHUV; oral and maxillofacial surgery , Lausanne, Switzerland

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 1, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): January 29, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 3, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 3, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): June 7, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 7, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 3, 2024
• Last Verified: June 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Reconstructive surgery; maxillofacial surgery; Free flaps; Microvascular surgery
• Other Study ID Numbers: lateral arm 1

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No