[Application of anterolateral thigh free flap to reconstruct head and neck soft tissue defects].

Background and objective: Although anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap has the advantage of limited damage to the donor site, its clinical application is not common. This study was to study the clinical value of ALT flap in the reconstruction of head and neck soft tissue defects.

Methods: Twenty patients receiving reconstruction of head and neck soft tissue defects using ALT flap at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between November 2004 and May 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical procedures in the harvest of ALT flap were described. The surgical anatomy and successful rate were reported.

Results: Twenty patients were all alive. The vessel pedicle length of ALT flap ranged from 5 cm to 14 cm, with an average of 9.9 cm. The harvested ALT flap was (4-9) cm X (6-16) cm. The skin perforator was classified into four cases of intermuscular septal branch (20%) and 16 cases of musculocutaneous branch (80%). The head and neck soft tissue defects included 14 cases (nine cases of tongue and oral floor, three cases of buccal mucosas, one case of hard palate, and one case of retromolar trigone mucosa) intraoral mucosa and six cases of facial-cervical skin defects. Except for one case, the donor sites were primarily sutured.

Conclusion: ALT flap is one of valuable and potential donor site for the reconstruction of head and neck soft tissue defects. It could achieve a high successful rate and causes little influence to the donor sites.