Before performing plastic and aesthetic surgery around the buccal area, the authors reviewed the anatomical structures of the buccal fat pad in 11 head specimens (i.e., 22 sides of the face). The enveloping, fixed tissues and the source of the nutritional vessels to the buccal fat pad and its relationship with surrounding structures were observed in detail, with the dissection procedure described step by step. The dissection showed that the buccal fat pad can be divided into three lobes-anterior, intermediate, and posterior-according to the structure of the lobar envelopes, the formation of the ligaments, and the source of the nutritional vessels. The buccal, pterygoid, pterygopalatine, and temporal extensions (superficial and profound) are derived from the posterior lobe. The buccal fat pad is fixed by six ligaments to the maxilla, posterior zygoma, and inner and outer rim of the infraorbital fissure, temporalis tendon, or buccinator membrane. Several nutritional vessels exist in each lobe and in the subcapsular vascular plexus forms. The buccal fat pads function to fill the deep tissue spaces, to act as gliding pads when masticatory and mimetic muscles contract, and to cushion important structures from the extrusion of muscle contraction or outer force impulsion. The volume of the buccal fat pad may change throughout a person's life. Based on the findings of the dissections, the authors provide several clinical applications for the buccal fat pad, such as the mechanism of deepening the nasolabial fold and possible rhytidectomy to suspend the anterior lobe upward and backward. They suggest that relaxation, poor development of the ligaments, or rupture of the buccal fat pad capsules can make the buccal extension drop or prolapse to the mouth or subcutaneous layer. As such, the authors refined their methods and heightened their focus when using the buccal fat pad to perform a random or pedicled buccal fat pad fat flap or to correct a buccal skin protrusion or hollow.

This paper reports the finding of the superior auricular artery, which is a fairly large arterial branch, about 1 mm in diameter, arising from the superficial temporal artery anterior to the auricular helix. It is covered by skin, the anterior auricular muscle, and the fascia of the parotid gland. It runs together with its concomitant vein posteriorly in the groove between the cartilage of the ear and the temporal bone and anastomoses with the posterior auricular artery. This artery has been used successfully to raise large retroauricular arterial island flaps for one case of total nose reconstruction and seven cases of reconstruction of the severely constricted anophthalmic socket. These operative procedures are described in detail.

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Polyacrylamide hydrogel, a new biomaterial, has been used for injected breast augmentation in China since 1997. A series of 30 patients with various complications after injected polyacrylamide hydrogel visited the author's department. Most of these patients had undergone injection of both breasts. The average age of the patients was 27.6 years, and the time of consultation for the complications was from 3 to 36 months postopertively. Nearly all the patients had breast lumps and other common complications including breast pain, disfigurement, and infection. Ultrasound examination showed diffuse, irregular, anechoic zones of mammary tissue. Pathologic results indicated inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrous capsular formation. An open suction technique and partial mastectomies via periareolar incisions were performed for the all patients. Most of their symptoms were relieved after removal of the polyacrylamide hydrogel. Only one patient had undergone immediate breast reconstruction with implants, whereas five patients had received breast implants secondarily via an axillary incision. The authors conclude that polyacrylamide hydrogel should be prohibited for injected breast augmentation before more scientific data are available about the long effect of the gel in breast tissue.

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The groin flap was designed to improve the conventional repair of the donor site of the anterolateral thigh flap. The modification method was applied successfully to cover the defects of donor sites of anterolateral thigh flaps in five patients. An ideal color match and a stable and completed composition for the donor sites were obtained. Little morbidity of the donor sites occurred. Cosmetic and functional rehabilitations of the donor sites were achieved. These results suggest the potential and novel method to improve the repair of the donor sites of anterolateral thigh flap.

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