Free-flap reconstruction in the doubly irradiated patient population.

Background: The standard of care for previously irradiated, unresectable, recurrent head and neck cancer has been chemotherapy alone. High-dose reirradiation with concomitant chemotherapy represents a more aggressive approach to these tumors and has afforded encouraging results with an increased fraction of long-term survivors. After reirradiation, these patients commonly present with extensive tissue loss, nonhealing wounds, contractures, and fistulas, and free-flap reconstruction is often necessary to correct the perils of oncologic treatment.

New technologies meeting old professional boundaries: the emergence of carotid artery stenting.

Background: Carotid artery stenosis is common and costly. Opinions differ in regard to the impact that carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) will have. Vascular surgeons, cardiologists, interventional radiologists, and neurologists all have a stake in the uptake of CAS.