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Kiyonori Harii

Publications and source records attributed to Kiyonori Harii.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Extensive actinomycosis of the face requiring radical resection and facial nerve reconstruction.

We present a case of extensive actinomycosis of the face, which appeared after dental surgery. Since antibiotic therapy was ineffective, the lesion was radically resected, and the skin, soft tissue and facial nerve were reconstructed using a free rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap and simultaneously harvested intercostal nerves. Successful reanimation of the face was achieved 14 months postoperatively.

Actinomycosis↗

Hepatic artery reconstruction with double-needle microsuture in living-donor liver transplantation.

In living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT), reconstruction of the hepatic artery is challenging because the recipient artery is located deep in the abdominal cavity and the operating field is limited. Also, the hepatic artery of the graft is short and the recipient artery is occasionally damaged. To overcome these difficulties, we developed a double-needle microsuture technique for artery reconstruction. A total of 161 adult patients received 163 LDLTs using this new technique. The first suture was placed at the most difficult point in the artery to be visualized through the microscope. Each stitch was placed from the inner side of the arterial wall to the outer side. The posterior stitch was tied pulling toward the back. The subsequent sutures were advanced anteriorly on either side adjacent to the previous suture. Hepatic artery thrombosis occurred in 4 patients (2.5%), only 2 (1.2%) of which were associated with arterial reconstruction. Intimal dissection developed in the recipient artery in 2 patients (1.2%). Three (50%) of these 6 complications occurred more than 10 days after LDLT. In conclusion, this suturing technique allows for safe intimal adaptation even when the arterial tunica intima is separated from the tunica media, because all stitches are carried from inside of the vessel to the outside, contributing to more satisfactory results.

Adult↗

One-stage reconstruction of facial paralysis associated with skin/soft tissue defects using latissimus dorsi compound flap.

Neurovascular free muscle transfer is now the mainstay for smile reconstruction in the treatment of established facial paralysis. Since facial paralysis due to ablative surgery or some specific disease sometimes accompanies defects of the facial skin and soft tissue, simultaneous reconstruction of defective tissues with facial reanimation is required. The present paper reports results for 16 patients who underwent reconstruction by simultaneous soft tissue flap transfer with latissimus dorsi muscle for smile reconstruction of the paralysed face. Soft tissue flaps comprised skin paddle overlying the latissimus dorsi muscle (n=6), serratus anterior musculocutaneous flap (n=5), serratus anterior muscle flap (n=2), and latissimus dorsi perforator-based flap with a small muscle cuff (n=3). The latissimus dorsi muscle can be elevated as a compound flap of various types, and thus offers the best option as a donor muscle for facial reanimation when soft tissue defects require simultaneous reconstruction.

Adolescent↗

Clinical evaluation and morbidity of 201 free jejunal transfers for oesophagopharyngeal reconstruction during the 20 years 1984-2003.

We evaluated 192 patients who had 201 free jejunal transfers for oesophagopharyngeal reconstruction during the 20 years 1984-2003. The main postoperative complications were thrombosis, leaks, and stenosis. In this series, the rate of thrombosis was 7/201 (3.5%), that of leaks was 17/201 (8.5%), and that of stenosis was 25/201 (13.0%). When we assessed the relation between pre-existing conditions, surgical techniques, and these complications, we found only one significant difference: a history of alcohol misuse was associated with a reduction in the incidence of thrombosis. The surgical techniques did not affect the development of leaks or stenosis, which means that a complicated surgical technique is unnecessary.

Adult↗

Orthopaedic POSSUM scoring system: an assessment of the risk of debridement in patients with pressure sores.

We hypothesised that the implementation of a validated method of audit, the Physiological and Operative Severity Score for enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity (POSSUM), would be useful in the evaluation of the risks of debridement in bedridden patients with pressure ulcers. With the orthopaedic version of POSSUM (O-POSSUM), physiological data and an operative profile are scored to predict mortality for 30 days postoperatively. Fourteen cases were analysed retrospectively. The difference in predicted mortality was compared with those who died and those who survived. The mean (SD) predicted mortality among those who died was 47 (16)%, and among those who lived was 18 (14)%. Those who died were classified as a relatively high risk group, and the values differed significantly (p=0.01). O-POSSUM may be helpful in audit.

Aged↗

Effectiveness of short-contact topical tretinoin in promoting wound healing in db/db mice.

We have investigated the effects of short-contact topical application of tretinoin using 16 male db/db mice by creating two full-thickness wounds on the skin of the back. A 0.1% tretinoin aqueous gel was applied to one wound for five minutes daily for five successive days while only aqueous gel was applied to the other (control). The mean (SD) percentage surface area unhealed before and after treatment were 0.88 (0.3) and 0.64 (0.15). In tretinoin-treated mice and non-treated mice (controls), the mean (SD) thicknesses of granulation were 1.383 (697) micro m and 683 (413) micro m, the density of capillary vessels in granulation was 12.2 (5.5)% and 5.7 (3.9)%, respectively. Differences between the two groups were significant for each variable. Wound healing was accelerated with short-contact topical application of tretinoin in db/db mice.

Animals↗

Standardization of free jejunum transfer after total pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Our latest free jejunum transfer procedure was reviewed and compared with previous procedures to standardize the operation. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 269 patients who had undergone total pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy and free jejunum transfer from 1992 through 2004. The patients were divided into two groups: a late group, in which surgery was performed with our latest standard procedure from 2000 through 2004, and an early group, in which various procedures had been used from 1992 through 1999. Surgical times, postoperative progress, and complications were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean surgical time was shortened from 3 hours 25 minutes in the early group to 3 hours 9 minutes in the late group, and ischemic time was shortened from 2 hours 44 minutes to 2 hours 20 minutes. For recipient vessels, branches of the external carotid artery and the internal jugular vein were more often used in the late group. Length of hospitalization decreased from 31.7 days in the early group to 24.4 days in the late group, although the start of drinking was similar (15.4 days versus 12.1 days). The rates of complications were significantly reduced in the late group, particularly those associated with the enteric anastomosis such as minor leakage (18.2-5.2%) and stenosis (17.6-3.0%). CONCLUSION: Our latest method of free jejunum transfer reconstruction has become reliable and expeditious through simple and stable minor revisions of procedures.

Esophagectomy↗

Availability of end-to-side arterial anastomosis to the external carotid artery using short-thread double-needle microsuture in free-flap transfer for head and neck reconstruction.

We seldom have difficulties in the selection of appropriate recipient arteries for microvascular free flap transfer in the head and neck region because many sizable branches (branch artery) of the external carotid artery (ECA) or subclavian artery are available. However, we occasionally encountered the lack of an appropriate recipient artery, especially in secondary reconstruction or reconstruction following the extensive ablation of recurrent cancer. For these challenging cases, we have used end-to-side arterial anastomosis directly to the ECA. Between July 1997 and December 2004, end-to-side anastomosis of the flap artery to the ECA was employed in 16 cases. The reason for its use included the marked size discrepancy between the jejunal artery and branch artery in 4 jejunal transfer cases, the lack of 2 appropriate recipient arteries for double free flap transfers in 1 case, and the lack of an available branch artery as a recipient due to poor regional conditions in 11 cases. Fifteen of 16 flaps underwent an uneventful postoperative course, except 1 whose flap artery was pressed by the submandibular gland and sustained thrombosis 3 days postoperatively. In this case, however, the flap survived perfectly after prompt thrombectomy and reanastomosis. Eventually, all 16 flaps survived completely. We reconfirmed the availability of end-to-side anastomosis to the ECA when a suitable branch artery is not available. Although end-to-side anastomosis to the ECA is laborious compared with end-to-end anastomosis, our newly developed short-thread double-needle microsuture combined with the back-wall-first technique helps to ensure easier anastomosis. Using this device, because all stitches are carried from inside the vessel to outside, the surgeon can place the first stitch at any point on the posterior wall and advance the next suture to the preferred site of the previous suture, and suturing can be performed more safely even in cases where the tunica intima is separated from the tunica media due to arteriosclerosis, previous irradiation, or surgery.

Adolescent↗

Choice of osseous and osteocutaneous flaps for mandibular reconstruction.

Microvascular free flap transfer currently represents one of the most popular methods for mandibular reconstruction. With the various free flap options now available, there is a general consensus that no single kind of osseous or osteocutaneous flap can resolve the entire spectrum of mandibular defects. A suitable flap, therefore, should be selected according to the specific type of bone and soft tissue defect. We have developed an algorithm for mandibular reconstruction, in which the bony defect is termed as either "lateral" or "anterior" and the soft-tissue defect is classified as "none," "skin or mucosal," or "through-and-through." For proper flap selection, the bony defect condition should be considered first, followed by the soft-tissue defect condition. When the bony defect is "lateral" and the soft tissue is not defective, the ilium is the best choice. When the bony defect is "lateral" and a small "skin or mucosal" soft-tissue defect is present, the fibula represents the optimal choice. When the bony defect is "lateral" and an extensive "skin or mucosal" or "through-and-through" soft-tissue defect exists, the scapula should be selected. When the bony defect is "anterior," the fibula should always be selected. However, when an "anterior" bone defect also displays an "extensive" or "through-and-through" soft-tissue defect, the fibula should be used with other soft-tissue flaps. Flaps such as a forearm flap, anterior thigh flap, or rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap are suitable, depending on the size of the soft-tissue defect.

Bone Transplantation↗

Double vascular pedicled free jejunum transfer for total esophageal reconstruction.

A double vascular pedicled free jejunum was transferred in two patients with complete esophageal defect. When the stomach and colon, which are usually employed for esophageal reconstruction, cannot be used due to previous operations or for other reasons, the jejunum is the next alternative. However, pedicled jejunal transposition is limited in length and may not reach a suitable level over the lower cervical esophagus, even if the distal portion is supercharged. Under such circumstances, a long jejunal segment with two vascular pedicles can be transferred as a free flap and used to reconstruct the whole esophagus in one stage. The paper describes two cases and discusses the advantages of double vascular pedicled free jejunum transfer.

Aged↗

Construction of pigmented skin equivalent and its application to the study of congenital disorders of pigmentation.

We have constructed a pigmented skin equivalent and used it to study the hyperpigmentation seen in café-au-lait macules to elucidate whether the pigmented skin equivalent could be used as a model of congenital hyperpigmentary disorders. When we used fibroblasts derived from café-au-lait macules of neurofibromatosis type 1, the amount of pigment was significantly greater than in models using cells derived from normal skin. Quantities of pigment were not seen when keratinocytes derived from solitary café-au-lait macules were used, a possible reason being that keratinocytes on the skin equivalent are in a proliferating condition and are not well-differentiated enough to act on other cells. Our results suggested that our pigmented skin equivalent is useful for the study of congenital hyperpigmentary disorders, although insufficient differentiation of keratinocytes might be a disadvantage.

Cafe-au-Lait Spots↗

Epidermal hyperpigmentation in non-syndromic solitary cafe-au-lait macules may be associated with increased secretion of endothelin-1 by lesional keratinocytes.

To clarify the mechanism of accentuated melanisation in non-syndromic solitary cafe-au-lait macules we used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure the concentration of melanogenic cytokines secreted by cultured keratinocytes and fibroblasts derived from the skins of the macules and compared them with those derived from normal people. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) was significantly increased in cultured keratinocytes in the macules compared with the normals. In contrast, the secretion of other cytokines secreted by keratinocytes or fibroblasts did not differ between the groups. It may be that the increased secretion of ET-1 by epidermal keratinocytes has a role in the accentuated epidermal melanisation seen in non-syndromic macules.

Adolescent↗

Development of a tissue-engineered human oral mucosa equivalent based on an acellular allogeneic dermal matrix: a preliminary report of clinical application to burn wounds.

Tissue-engineered skin equivalents composed of epidermal and dermal components have been widely investigated for coverage of full-thickness skin defects. We developed a tissue-engineered oral mucosa equivalent based on an acellular allogeneic dermal matrix and investigated its characteristics. We also tried and assessed its preliminary clinical application. Human oral mucosal keratinocytes were separated from a piece of oral mucosa and cultured in a chemically-defined medium. The keratinocytes were seeded on to the acellular allogeneic dermal matrix and cultured. Histologically, the mucosa equivalent had a well-stratified epithelial layer. Immunohistochemical study showed that it was similar to normal oral mucosa. We applied this equivalent in one case with an extensive burn wound. The equivalent was transplanted three weeks after the harvest of the patient's oral mucosa and about 30% of the graft finally survived. We conclude that this new oral mucosa equivalent could become a therapeutic option for the treatment of extensive burns.

Burns↗

Craniofacial anomalies of the cultured mouse embryo induced by inhibition of sonic hedgehog signaling: an animal model of holoprosencephaly.

The pathogenesis of holoprosencephaly is multifactorial, and blockage of Sonic hedgehog signaling is one of the most important causative factors in animal models and human cases. In this study, the authors analyzed facial anomalies of mouse embryos, which were cultured in vitro and exposed to cyclopamine, an alkaloid blocker of Sonic hedgehog signaling. When cultured with cyclopamine for embryonic day 8.5 to 10.5, the whole body size was smaller than normal, and the distance and angle between the nasal placodes were remarkably reduced. Extension of the cranial surface vessels also was noted. No cyclopia was observed. Migration of the cranial neural crest cells seemed to be intact. Expressions of Patched-1 and Gli-1, downstream genes of Sonic hedgehog signaling, also were down-regulated in in situ hybridization and real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analyses. The authors consider that these facial anomalies represent milder phenotypes of holoprosencephaly.

Animals↗

Revisional operations improve results of neurovascular free muscle transfer for treatment of facial paralysis.

BACKGROUND: Neurovascular free muscle transfer is currently the mainstay for smile reconstruction. However, problems such as excessive muscle bulk and dislocation of the transferred muscle attachment have been described. Furthermore, dynamic movements of the transferred muscle are sometimes too strong or too weak, resulting in facial asymmetry. In these cases, secondary revisional operations for the transferred muscle are required after neurovascular free muscle transfer. This report describes revisional operative procedures in detail and examines the extent of improvement of the smile by comparing preoperative and postoperative results. METHODS: Of 468 patients in whom neurovascular free muscle transfer was performed between 1977 and 2000, a total of 183 received revisional operations for the transferred muscle. Operations included revision of muscle attachment in 129 patients, debulking of the cheek in 114 patients, and fascia graft in 21 patients. RESULTS: Evaluation with the grading scale was performed in 117 of the 183 patients. Grading improved in 59 patients and worsened in seven patients. The remaining 51 patients displayed no change in grading. Differences between preoperative and post-operative grading were compared statistically, and revisional operations improved the grading score. CONCLUSIONS: Revisional operations are effective and important as secondary operations after neurovascular free muscle transfer. However, care must be taken not to damage the neurovascular pedicles.

Adult↗

Secondary reconstruction of failed esophageal reconstruction.

Between June 1992 and November 2002, 17 patients underwent secondary reconstruction of circumferential esophageal defects due to the failure of immediate reconstruction following ablation of thoracic esophageal cancer. Salvage reconstruction was achieved using free jejunal transfer in 13 patients (including long segment with double vascular pedicle in 2 cases), skin and/or musculocutaneous flap in 2 cases, and jejunal pull-up in 2 cases. In 5 patients, the second salvage surgery was required because of the failed first salvage. However, successful restoration of the esophagus and peroral alimentation was finally achieved in 16 of 17 patients, except 1 patient with several salvage operations using skin and musculocutaneous flap because the gut was unusable. We concluded that the preferred first choice for salvage restoration is free jejunal transfer. If the length of the esophageal defect is extensive, colonic interposition or jejunal pedicle with microvascular anastomosis for supercharging is the next option. If these procedures cannot be used, the transfer of a long jejunal segment with double vascular pedicles is recommended. Reconstruction using skin and/or musculocutaneous flap is the final option. As primary wound closure is often difficult in secondary reconstruction of the esophagus, a pectoralis major musculocutaneous flap is reliable to cover the reconstructed esophagus because skin flaps located in the neck region may be damaged by neck dissection or irradiation, and coverage of the anastomosis with muscle between the digestive tracts is effective to prevent leakage.

Aged↗