Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to present our experience with the free anterolateral thigh flap for reconstruction of various cutaneous and mucosal defects of the head and neck.

STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective review of 37 patients who underwent reconstruction between 1994 and 2002. Outcome measures included ethnicity, flap harvest technique, vascular anatomy, flap success, general surgical complications, and donor site morbidity.

RESULTS: The majority of our patients were white (n = 33). The size of the 39 free anterolateral thigh flaps varied from 24 to 252 cm 2 . There was 1 arterial failure and flap loss (2.6%) and 2 venous occlusions that were both salvaged. The donor site was closed primarily in 37 cases and with a split-thickness skin graft in 2 cases.

CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report on using the free anterolateral thigh flap in whites. This free transfer has proved to be a versatile and reliable flap for reconstruction of the head and neck.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Song

Chen

Song

. The free thigh flap: a new free flap concept based on the septocutaneous artery. Br J Plast Surg 1984;37:149–59

Koshima

Fukuda

Yamamoto

. Free anterolateral thigh flaps for reconstruction of head and neck defects Plast Reconstr Surg 1993;92:421–8

Kimata

Uchiyama

Ebihara

. Versatility of the free anterolateral thigh flap for reconstruction of head and neck defects Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1997;123:1325–31

Demirkan

Chen

Wei

. The versatile anterolateral thigh flap: a musculocutaneous flap in disguise in head and neck reconstruction Br J Plast Surg 2000;53:30–6

Shieh

Chiu

. Free anterolateral thigh flap for reconstruction of head and neck defects following cancer ablation Plast Reconstr Surg 2000;105:2349–57

Wei

Celik

Chen

. Combined anterolateral thigh flap and vascularized fibula osteoseptocutaneous flap in reconstruction of extensive composite mandibular defects Plast Reconstr Surg 2002;109:45–52

Kimata

Uchiyama

Ebihara

. Anatomic variations and technical problems of the anterolateral thigh flap: a report of 74 cases Plast Reconstr Surg 1998;102:1517–23

Kimura

Satoh

. Consideration of a thin flap as an entity and clinical applications of the thin anterolateral thigh flap Plast Reconstr Surg 1996;97:985–92

Kimata

Uchiyama

Ebihara

. Anterolateral thigh flap donor-site complications and morbidity Plast Reconstr Surg 2000;106:584–9

10.

Uno

Maeta

. De-epithelialised anterior thigh flaps for dead space filling and contour correction in head and neck reconstruction Br J Plast Surg 1999;52:261–7

Head and Neck Reconstruction with Anterolateral Thigh Flap

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References