INFRAHYOID MYOCUTANEOUS FLAP IN HEAD AND NECK RECONSTRUCTION

Infrahyoid myocutaneous flap is one of the alternatives to be consider ed for the reconstruction of moderate defects following resection of t he oral cavity, oropharynx, or hypopharynx cancers. The flap is based on the uni- or bilateral superior thyroid pedicle; its major limitatio ns are due to small flap volume and arc of rotation. The authors revie wed a series of 15 consecutive patients with carcinomas of the oral ca vity or pharynx who underwent radical surgical resections followed by immediate reconstruction using an infrahyoid myocutaneous flap. Four o f five cases with prior irradiation presented complications. The incid ence of flap necrosis in this series (47%) was higher than that report ed by others (10%). We consider the presence of massive neck metastasi s and prior irradiation contraindications to the use of this flap. (C) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.