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Background: Prelamination is a reconstructive technique providing fasciomucosal or composite flaps with low donor-site morbidity. We conducted a systematic review of retrospective studies to assess the application of prelaminated flaps in reconstructive surgery of head and neck cancer patients, and to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of this technique. Methods: This systematic review adhered to the recommendations of the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) 2009 guidelines. A computerized MEDLINE search was performed using the PubMed service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (www.pubmed.org) and Scopus database (www. scopus.com), running the following search string: "prelamination OR prelaminated AND flap." Two authors screened the articles, then selected and extracted data on malignancies characteristics, reconstructive techniques, outcomes and complications.Results: A total of 19 articles were selected and reviewed from 128 identified. Seven of 19 articles were case reports, 12 articles were case series. One-hundred-two patients underwent reconstructive treatment by prelamination technique using a wide variety of flaps (92 free, 10 pedicled). The sites of reconstruction were oral cavity (66 floor of the mouth, 3 retromolar trigone, 6 hard palate, 4 cheek, 4 tongue), 8 facial skin (5 of them sited on the nose), 4 oropharyngeal defects, 1 laryngotracheal region. No case of total flap loss was reported. Partial flap loss or shrinkage requiring minor surgical revisions was observed in 18 patients (17.6%). Primary closure of the donor site was achieved in 97 cases (97%) and 3 (3%) required revision surgery of the donor site. Conclusion:Prelamination is an effective and versatile technique, with low donor-site morbidity. Further studies would be needed to investigate the impact on the patient's oncologic outcome. More comparative studies with standard reconstructive techniques are essential to understand when it is worth performing this sophisticated procedure.

Objective Restriction in healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in the diagnosis and treatment of several diseases. To overcome the risk of missed diagnosis of head and neck cancers, before deleting the scheduled appointments, we have introduced a selection of the patients by examining the clinical presenting issue and previous medical history. The aim of this study is to show the effects of the abovementioned strategy on the diagnosis and management of laryngeal cancer. Methods Data were extracted from the Hospital software regarding the new diagnosis of laryngeal SCC in the periods from March 2020 to December 2020 during the pandemic (study group) and from March 2019 to December 2019 (control group) were collected. Data were compared regarding: TNM stage, time from first medical examination to histological diagnosis ( Time-1 ), and time form histological diagnosis to beginning of treatments ( Time-2 ). Results The final study group was composed by 19 laryngeal cancers, the control group by 25 cases. No significant differences were found in the tumour stage between the groups. In the study group, Time-1 was shorter (24 days versus 43 days, p = 0.012), while Time-2 in surgically-treated patients was longer (20 days versus 9 days, p = 0.012). Conclusion During the pandemic, there was a dramatic lack of medical and nurse staff needed for surgical procedures. As consequence, the time between the diagnosis of malignancy and surgical treatment increased. In our unit, an efficient patient selection strategy to reschedule medical appointments avoided a dangerous shift toward higher laryngeal cancer stages.

Background: Swallowing disorders are common problems after partial laryngectomy. The aim of this study is to illustrate the long-term functional results of rehabilitation of swallowing by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) injection. Methods: Twenty-eight patients with dysphagia after partial laryngectomy who underwent injection of PDMS for rehabilitation of swallowing were included in the study. Impairment of swallowing and quality of life (QoL) were investigated with questionnaires: M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) and Performance Status Scale for Head and Neck Cancer (PSS-HNC). Functional results at fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) were analyzed using a modified penetration-aspiration scale. Results: Mean follow-up was 8.5 years. Twenty-six patients showed an improvement at questionnaires (p < 0.001). Median improvement was 6 (p < 0.001) in the modified penetration-aspiration scale. Total laryngectomy was required in one patient. Conclusions: PDMS injection is a good option for rehabilitation of swallowing in case of dysphagia after partial laryngectomy. It improves QoL and the results persist after a long follow-up period.