FREE ARTERIALIZED VENOUS FOREARM FLAPS FOR INTRAORAL RECONSTRUCTION

In 29 patients, the intraoral defect after excision of an oral squamou s cell carcinoma was repaired with an arterialised venous forearm flap . In all cases, a flap of skin and fat with a superficial vein passing through it was raised from the flexor surface of the right forearm. A fter the flap had been sutured into the intraoral defect, the original distal end of the vein was anastomosed to an artery and the original proximal end to a vein. Fifteen (52%) of the flaps survived completely , six (21%) had superficial epithelial loss or some marginal necrosis and eight (27%) became completely necrotic. Areas of partial loss deve loped slowly and formed stable granulation tissue. The flap donor site s were either closed primarily (n = 20) or were covered with a split t hickness skin graft (n = 9). There were no functional problems of the donor forearms. These results contrast with the high success rates ach ieved with orthodox free radial forearm flaps. Further research into v enous flaps is essential.