Pedicle Flaps Contribute to Endoscopic Skull-Base Surgery and Facial Soft-Tissue Repair: The Diuturnity of Johannes Fredericus Samuel Esser (1877-1946)

Abstract

Pedicle flaps based on the external maxillary (facial) artery were introduced during the World War I, precisely a century ago. Today they remain effective tools in facial soft-tissue repair. Recently, pedicle flaps based on the internal maxillary (sphenopalatine) artery have been chosen to reliably close dural defects after endoscopic skull-base surgery. Pedicle flaps, "biologic" to the extent they are based on a defined arterial blood supply, are the lasting contributions-the diuturnity-of Johannes ("Jan") Fredericus Samuel Esser (1877-1946) of Leiden, Holland, and Chicago (IL).

Keywords: Johannes (“Jan”) F. S. Esser; diuturnity; external and internal maxillary arteries; facial soft-tissue repair; pedicle flaps; skull-base surgery.

Fig. 1

“Morphy Chess Club,” Leiden, Holland, 1896 (Courtesy, Barend Haeseker, Esser Foundation, and Erasmus University Rotterdam).

Fig. 2

( a ) University of Leiden (Courtesy, University of Leiden and Wikipedia), accessed January 10, 2017. ( b ) Jan Esser in London (Courtesy, Barend Haeseker, Esser Foundation, and Erasmus University Rotterdam). ( c ) University of Utrecht (Courtesy, University of Utrecht and Wikipedia); accessed January 10, 2017.

Fig. 3

Steamer Prins Maurits, 1915 (Courtesy, Judi Heit and North Carolina Shipwrecks). Available at: northcarolinashipwrecks.blogspot.com/2012/.../steamer-prins-maurits-3-april-1915.html; accessed July 31, 2016.

Fig. 4

Photograph, Philipp Bockenheimer (Courtesy, Historical Collections of the Humboldt University of Berlin Library [13875] and Wikiwand.com); accessed July 31, 2016.

Fig. 5

( a ) Photograph, Pierre Sebileau (Courtesy, Bibliotheque interuniversitaire de Sante, Paris). Biusante.parisdescartes.fr; Accessed July 31, 2016. ( b ) Photograph, Hippolyte Morestin ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippolyte_Morestin ; Courtesy, Wikipedia); accessed January 22, 2017.

Fig. 6

Tout Paris—40 Rue Bichat—Hospital Saint Louis en 1900 (Courtesy, Cartes Postales Anciennes de Bastille91Cpa-bastille91.com); accessed August 1, 2017.

Fig. 7

( a ) Austrian soldiers prepared to engage Russian soldiers, in Galicia (Licensed by Alamy, Brooklyn, NY; April 10, 2017; Image OY16296487). ( b ) German wagon supply trains in Galicia, 1915 (Licensed by Alamy, Brooklyn, NY; April 10, 2017; Image OY16297677).

Fig. 8

( a ) Imperial and Royal Reserve Hospital Number 2. ( b ) Brunn and Budapest, near the Eastern Front: a map depicting the invasion of Galicia by Russian troops. ( c ) Esser (center left) with Dutch surgical assistants in Brunn, Austria (Courtesy, Barend Haeseker, Esser Foundation, and Erasmus University Rotterdam).

Fig. 9

Illustrations depicting rotation advancement pedicle from the neck to (a) the lower face, (b) midface, and (c) lower eyelid; Johannes Esser, 1917 (Licensed by Annals of Surgery and Wolters Kluwer). ( d ) Images after rotation advancement pedicle based on the facial artery, from the neck to the lower midface; Johannes Esser, 1917 (Licensed by Annals of Surgery and Wolters Kluwer).

Fig. 10

( a ) Illustrations depicting pedicle transposition from the nasolabial fold to the ipsilateral lower lip (Licensed by Annals of Surgery and Wolters Kluwer). ( b ) Images after transposition of a pedicle from the nasolabial fold to the ipsilateral lower lip, based on the nasolabial artery, a branch of the facial artery (Licensed by Annals of Surgery and Wolters Kluwer).

Fig. 11

Wounded soldiers, Esser's surgery clinic, Berlin (Courtesy, Barend Haeseker, Esser Foundation, and Erasmus University Rotterdam).

Fig. 12

Line drawing of nasoseptal pedicle flap based on the sphenopalatine artery and its transposition from the nasal septum to the skull base. Partial amputation of the middle turbinate facilitates access and transposition of the pedicle within the surgical corridor. (Copyright and courtesy, Richard A. Pollock).

Fig. 13

Photograph, Jan Esser at mid-life (Licensed by Jan M. Hilbert, Johannes F. Hoenig, European Journal Plastic Surgery, and Springer Publishing).

Fig. 14

Photograph, the elder Jan Esser in Chicago, 1941, by Max Thorek (Courtesy, Barend Haeseker, Esser Foundation, and Erasmus University Rotterdam).