Head and neck reconstruction using laparoscopically harvested omentum

Abstract

Since the need for laparotomy in harvesting the omentum is the most significant drawback, the omentum has not been the tissue of choice for reconstructive surgery. To compensate for this drawback, we started laparoscopic harvesting of the omentum and clarified the advantages and disadvantages of this procedure. Ten patients underwent laparoscopic harvesting of the omentum by abdominal surgeons, followed by reconstruction of head and neck defects. Surgery was conducted in 5 cases of defect reconstructions for parotid gland tumor surgery and 5 of oropharyngeal defect after cancer surgery. The average harvesting time was 107 minutes (55-140 minutes) and used the omentum and different amounts and length of the vascular pedicle. Although the omentum was successfully transplanted in 9 of 10 cases, 2 cases showed partial peripheral necrosis and 1 total necrosis. With the advantage of laparoscopic harvesting of the omentum, we could obtain appropriate omental size for the defect size. Especially after total parotidecomy, the omentum was useful to fill in the defect, reducing the patients' worries about postoperative deformity. In one case, the omentum was used to treat Frey syndrome, successfully relieving the symptoms. In oropharyngeal reconstruction, the omentum is used to fill dead space and prevented postoperative infection. Although mild abdominal pain was observed a few days after surgery, no major abdominal complications such as intestinal perforation or ileus occurred in the 8 to 39 months following laparoscopic harvest of the omentum. Since the omentum is pliable and easily fills a complicated defect, the omentum is considered satisfactory for reconstructing defects of the lateral face after parotid tumor surgery and small defects after oropharyngeal tumor surgery.