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RACS ASC 2024

Laparoscopic harvest of a gastro-omental free flap for pharyngeal reconstruction

Verbal Presentation

Verbal Presentation

11:30 am

07 May 2024

Conway 3

ADVANCED HIATAL HERNIA - VIDEO SESSION

Disciplines

Upper GI Surgery

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Presentation Description

Institution: Wollongong Hospital - NSW, Australia

Circumferential pharyngeal reconstruction is a complex and morbid procedure, with potential complications including fistula, stenosis and carotid blowout, all made more likely in the salvage setting. Various free tissue transfers can be employed to replace the pharyngeal defect. The gastro-omental free flap provides a tubular conduit of stomach with attached greater omentum, supplied by the right gastroepiploic vessels. This free flap has been used for circumferential or partial pharyngeal reconstruction since 1979. The advantages of the flap are in the mucous-secreting lining and the omentum, which acts to seal any continuity defects. Our group was the first to describe a fully laparoscopic harvest of this flap, an innovation we believe overcomes most of the downside of this flap by avoiding laparotomy. We present a case of a 63-year-old male who underwent salvage total laryngopharyngectomy and bilateral neck dissection for recurrent hypopharyngeal SCC, with reconstruction using a gastro-omental free flap. In this verbal presentation, we show an intraoperative video of the laparoscopic harvest of a gastro-omental free flap, demonstrating the approach, technique and considerations for successful flap harvest.

Speakers

Authors

Authors

Dr Jodie Trautman - , Dr Takako Yabe - , A/Prof Bruce Ashford -