Temporoparietal-occipital flap for facial reconstruction

Eight patients with an extensive facial defect of the masseter region were reconstructed with a temporoparietal-occipital rotation flap. This flap is vascularized by both the arteria auricularis posterior and the arteria occi pitalis lateralis. These vessels have been sufficient to ensure viability o f the entire flap. It is elevated and easily transposed to the masseter reg ion because of the distensibility obtained from the posterior neck. This ap proach avoided the need for an unsightly skin graft at the site while provi ding tissue with hair follicles that blend well with the surrounding hair. This large flap offers cosmetic advantages over other techniques for covera ge of facial defects in men.