Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Division

Introduction

In order to make a significant contribution to the improvement of patients’ Quality of Life (QOL), the main objectives of plastic and reconstructive surgery have been focused on the following three aspects in the surgical treatment of cancer:

Obtain good functional recovery
Reduce postoperative complications
Lessen donor site morbidity

With the goal of achieving these objectives, establishing a standard procedure for reconstructive surgery and developing a new technique of reconstructive procedure are the most important aims of our research.

Functional Analysis after Reconstructive Surgery

A study involving multi-institutional analysis of postoperative QOL after tongue resection and reconstruction is currently underway. This study is supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Cancer Research from the Japanese Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare. The aim of this study is to clarify the relationship between clinical indicators and postoperative QOL.
In addition, postoperative functional analysis of patients who underwent total or subtotal glossectomy is presently on-going. In this study, pharyngeal pressures in patients with tongue reconstruction are measured, with the expectation that the mechanism underlying functional impairment would be revealed.

Development of a New Technique of Reconstructive procedure

Several new techniques of reconstructive surgery were developed, and modification of conventional surgery was also performed.
In addition, functional restoration with three-dimensional reconstructions in patients who underwent partial laryngopharyngectomy was established (67). The prototype of this unique surgical procedure was originally established by Ebihara and Harii, and refinements and satisfactory functional results were reported.
The development of other reconstructive procedures in cooperation with other divisions such as the Colorectal Surgery and Esophageal Surgery Divisions is currently being pursued.

● M. Sakuraba ●

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