title: Parascapular free flaps in skin malignancies.
abstract: This study was a retrospective review of a case series of nine patients, aged 40 to 83 years, presenting to the head and neck cancer department at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, with a diagnosis of head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), requiring reconstruction after surgical resection. In this group of patients, parascapular fasciocutaneous free flaps proved to be a safe, reliable, and cosmetically effective choice for reconstruction of head and neck skin cancer defects. Choosing donor tissue from a relatively non-sun exposed area can prevent potential development of new malignancies that may arise from donor sites using sun-exposed skin. We discuss the benefits and versatility of the parascapular fasciocutaneous free flap and our experience in using this flap to reconstruct complex surgical defects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. kmarcum@wfubmc.edu
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kucera Marcum
authors.forename: J Dale
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Browne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D004954:Esthetics; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D058752:Free Tissue Flaps; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods