MICROVASCULAR TISSUE TRANSFER FOR PLASTIC RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SURFACE OF THE HEAD AND NECK REGION

Free tissue transfer is under certain circumstances an ideal reconstru ctive method for skin and soft tissue defects of the head and neck reg ion. These are multilayer, large defects, recurrences after previous r econstructive methods, in cases of aesthetic disturbances due to local flaps, in difficult reconstructive areas due to chronic infection and radiotherapy and if local tissue is not available. From 1987 to 1993 we performed 30 reconstructions of the surface of the head and neck re gion with free flaps, mainly the forearm flap and the scapular flap. B ut also the latissimus dorsi flap and in one case the rectus abdominis flap were used. There was no flap failure. In only one case of a fore arm flap we saw a delayed healing of the donor defect. There was no fu nctional impairment of the donor defect. All cosmetical results were a cceptable. Flaps from the trunk mainly showed considerable differences in colour and texture to the surrounding skin.