Microvascular surgery involves reconstructing complex defects of the head and neck after cancer removal, severe trauma or facial paralysis. These highly specialized procedures involve using tissue from other sites in the body, along with its blood supply, to reconstruct missing tissue in the head and neck. Blood vessels from the donor tissue are connected to blood vessels in the neck. 

The Penn State Health Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery team includes fellowship-trained microvascular surgeons with expertise in improving patient appearance, optimizing speech and swallowing function and improving quality of life.

Conditions

• Cutaneous malignancies of the head and neck (skin cancer)
• Facial paralysis
• Facial defects
• Hypopharyngeal cancer (throat and swallowing passage cancer)
• Jaw defects
• Laryngeal cancer (voice box)
• Oral cancer (lip, mouth, tongue, palate)
• Oropharyngeal cancer (tonsil, tongue base, soft palate)  
• Salivary gland tumors

Treatments

Cancer treatments may include resection (removal) of a large cancer in the head and neck.  Many times, due to the size of the defect, tissue needs to be brought in from another source (such as the leg, back, or arm) with its own blood supply to rebuild the resected tissue.  Studies have shown that this improves quality of life for patients and assists in improve swallowing and speech outcomes.