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The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of major and minor flap, donor site, and systemic complications in a consecutive series of 250 free flap operations. The following factors were analyzed to determine their significance on complication rates: age of patient, gender, wound etiology, smoking history, type of flap, operative time, vein graft use, surgeon experience, and the presence of comorbid disease. The major flap, donor-site, and systemic complication rates were 17.2%, 2%, and 6.4%, respectively. The minor flap, donor-site, and systemic complication rates were 7.2%, 12.8%, and 7.2%, respectively. The presence of comorbid medical condition was the only factor which had a statistically significant impact on the rate of major flap complications (P = 0.02). Age and comorbid disease impacted on major systemic complications (P = 0.04).

A three-year-old boy was investigated for inexplicable incessant crying. On examination, his left wrist was mildly swollen (three to four months) and sensitive. Exploration and carpal tunnel decompression of the left wrist with incisional biopsy was performed for the presence of a fusiform swelling intimately associated with the median nerve. Histopathology revealed the presence of enlarged nerve bundles admixed with mature fat cells and diffuse fibroblastic proliferation. Three months later, he underwent urgent contralateral carpal tunnel decompression for a similar presentation. The final diagnosis was bilateral fibrolipomatous hamartoma (FLH) of the median nerves causing acute bilateral compression neuropathy. FLH of the median nerve is an extremely unusual cause of acute bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome in a young child presenting with 'incessant crying'. A comprehensive review of FLH including epidemiology, etiology, clinical presentation, differential diagnosis, imaging, pathology, treatment and prognosis is discussed.

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There are limited reports in the literature describing the use of muscle or skin pedicle flaps as a lymphatic bridge to treat obstructive lymphedema. This report demonstrates the successful use of a free muscle flap for a circumferential scar of a forearm as treatment for obstructive lymphedema. Lymphatic drainage is demonstrated across the free flap by lymphoscintigraphy postoperatively. This is the first case report using a free muscle flap to reestablish lymphatic flow across an area of obstructive limb lymphedema.

BACKGROUND: Adequate recipient vessels are critical for free flap success. There are, however, situations in which the local recipient vessels are inadequate. In these situations, vein grafts are required to allow pedicle extension to recipient vessels. OBJECTIVES: To determine the indications, technique, reliability and outcome of vein graft use in free flap transfer. METHODS: A retrospective review of 198 consecutive free flaps by a single surgeon. RESULTS: Vein grafts were required in 9.6% of free flaps. The most common indication was vein graft use in a planned preoperative fashion. The vein graft was most commony placed as an arteriovenous fistula loop. There was no statistically significant difference in survival between flaps with or without vein grafts. CONCLUSION: Vein graft use in free flap transfer is reliable, effective and often necessary for free flap survival.

A lthough carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy encountered in an adult surgical practice, it is relatively rare in children. In the majority of adults, CTS is believed to be idiopathic in origin. However, in children, CTS is usually secondary to an underlying pathology, such as lysosomal storage diseases, particularly mucopolysaccharidosis and mucolipidosis. Other causes of CTS in children include genetic bony dysplasia, malformations of the anatomical structures of the carpal tunnel, or enlargement of the median nerve by intraneural lipoma, ganglionic cysts, traumatic neuromas, vascular malformations or neurofibromas. An unusual cause of childhood CTS is fibrolipomatous hamartoma (FLH), a rare benign lesion characterized histologically by the presence of mature fat cells admixed with fibroblastic proliferation within the distorted, expanded nerve bundles.We report the first case in the published literature of acute bilateral CTS secondary to bilateral FLH of the median nerves without macrodactyly in a three-year-old boy who presented with incessant crying due to acute bilateral compression neuropathy. Case presentationA three-year-old boy was brought to the emergency room by his mother due to 'incessant crying' that began earlier that morning. His distress had been progressive since he awoke and, on arrival to the emergency room, he was inconsolable. The mother was unable to identify a precipitating cause. On further questioning, the mother recalled his complaining of discomfort in the right wrist for the past three months. The boy was otherwise healthy, took no medications and his immunizations were up to date.On physical examination, a 4 cm to 5 cm swelling of the flexor aspect of the right wrist and thenar atrophy of this hand were recognized with associated weakness in the hand ( Figures 1A and 1B). Tinel's test was positive. The boy's distress escalated with active and passive movement of the wrist, which impeded the assessment of sensation and range of motion. His physical examination was otherwise unremarkable except for an incomplete syndactyly of the second and third toes.Suspecting a neurofibroma secondary to neurofibromatosis, dermatology and ophthalmology were consulted. A complete workup for the same showed no stigmata of neurofibromatosis. Plastic surgery was subsequently consulted to perform an examination under anesthetic for exploration of the right wrist. Intraoperatively, a fusiform enlargement of the median nerve causing carpal tunnel compression was identified (Figures 2A to 2C). The surrounding tissue was otherwise normal. A biopsy of the median nerve was taken for diagnostic purposes, and a carpal tunnel release (CTR) was performed to alleviate compression symptoms. A three-year-old boy was investigated for inexplicable incessant crying. On examination, his left wrist was mildly swollen (three to four months) and sensitive. Exploration and carpal tunnel decompression of the left wrist with incisional biopsy was performed for the presence of a fusiform swe...