title: Multipaddled anterolateral thigh chimeric flap for reconstruction of complex defects in head and neck.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Canhua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Xinqun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Lian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Xinchun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000601:surgery*; D013848:Thigh / Q000601:surgery*