VASCULARIZED FASCIA AS A TRANSFERABLE BED FOR EXPERIMENTAL LARYNGEAL RECONSTRUCTION

Laryngeal defects were reconstructed with a combined vascular flap con sisting of lateral thoracic fascia used as a transferable vascular bed . A buccal mucosal graft was fixed on this bed as an internal lining. An autogenous cartilage graft, circumferentially wrapped in vascular c onnective tissue, was used as external support. The first focus of int erest of this experimental study was to investigate the necessity of e pithelial lining in the repair of a full-thickness laryngeal wall defe ct. The second focus of interest was to study reconstruction of the po sterior glottis by introducing additional supporting material.