title: Vastus lateralis muscle flaps for monitoring buried anterolateral thigh flaps.
abstract: Postoperative monitoring of buried anterolateral thigh flaps is difficult with standard methods. Although a monitoring skin flap based on a second cutaneous perforator is often used, it requires tedious dissection of 2 sets of perforators and cannot be used when a second perforator is absent. We present 2 patients who underwent head and neck reconstruction with buried anterolateral thigh flaps, which were monitored with a small, externalized segment of the vastus lateralis muscle accompanying the main skin island. Both flaps survived, and the monitoring muscle flaps remained pink throughout the postoperative period until removal. For monitoring, a vastus lateralis muscle flap has several advantages over a skin flap. This method obviates the need for dissecting a second cutaneous perforator and allows reliable monitoring regardless of the number of available cutaneous perforators. We believe this method is a versatile option for monitoring buried anterolateral thigh flaps.
authors.affiliation: From the *Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo; and †Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan.
authors.forename: Shimpei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kayano
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Umezawa
authors.forename: Masahide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujiki
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakuraba
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004954:Esthetics; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000637:transplantation*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013848:Thigh / Q000601:surgery*