Repair of salivary fistulae after laryngectomy.

A new surgical technique is described for the repair of salivary fistulae. It has been used in three patients. The fistulae occurred after laryngectomy and had been unsuccessfully treated with local and regional flaps. The principle of the technique is to use a bipedicled jejunal patch as a free microvascular transfer. One patch is used for reconstruction of the pharynx and after excising the mucosa the skin defect is closed with the other patch. The mucosa is excised to expose the muscle and to create a recipient site for a split skin graft.