PLoS ONE (Jan 2014)

Multipaddled anterolateral thigh chimeric flap for reconstruction of complex defects in head and neck.

  • Canhua Jiang,
  • Feng Guo,
  • Ning Li,
  • Wen Liu,
  • Tong Su,
  • Xinqun Chen,
  • Lian Zheng,
  • Xinchun Jian

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0106326
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 9
p. e106326

Abstract

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The anterolateral thigh flap has been the workhouse flap for coverage of soft-tissue defects in head and neck for decades. However, the reconstruction of multiple and complex soft-tissue defects in head and neck with multipaddled anterolateral thigh chimeric flaps is still a challenge for reconstructive surgeries. Here, a clinical series of 12 cases is reported in which multipaddled anterolateral thigh chimeric flaps were used for complex soft-tissue defects with several separately anatomic locations in head and neck. Of the 12 cases, 7 patients presented with trismus were diagnosed as advanced buccal cancer with oral submucous fibrosis, 2 tongue cancer cases were found accompanied with multiple oral mucosa lesions or buccal cancer, and 3 were hypopharyngeal cancer with anterior neck skin invaded. All soft-tissue defects were reconstructed by multipaddled anterolateral thigh chimeric flaps, including 9 tripaddled anterolateral thigh flaps and 3 bipaddled flaps. The mean length of skin paddle was 19.2 (range: 14-23) cm and the mean width was 4.9 (range: 2.5-7) cm. All flaps survived and all donor sites were closed primarily. After a mean follow-up time of 9.1 months, there were no problems with the donor or recipient sites. This study supports that the multipaddled anterolateral thigh chimeric flap is a reliable and good alternative for complex and multiple soft-tissue defects of the head and neck.