Management of a total parotidectomy defect with a gastrocnemius muscle transfer and vascularized sural nerve grafting.

Abstract

Immediate facial nerve reconstruction is very demanding after total parotidectomy. Under such conditions, we reconstructed facial nerves using vascularized sural nerve with free lateral gastrocnemius muscle flap. The patient was a 14-year-old male diagnosed with mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the right parotid gland. We reconstructed zygomatic, buccal, and mandibular branches of facial nerve using 2 vascularized sural nerves, medial sural cutaneous nerve, and the lateral sural cutaneous nerve. The postoperative course was good, and there was no flap trouble. The reinnervated nerve recovered from 3 months after the operation. In 6 months after operation, almost normal animation was recovered, except for the corners of the patient's mouth. The advantages of this flap are feasible harvesting in the supine position, feasible filling of the dead space, possible harvesting of 2 series of lateral sural cutaneous nerve and median sural cutaneous nerve, and less sacrifice of the donor site. The disadvantage of this method is that the diameter of the pedicle is smaller than that of the medial pedicle. But the diameters of the lateral sural artery and vein are suitable to anastomose the cervical artery and vein. This flap is one of the good options for reconstruction of facial nerves after total parotidectomy.