Local and regional flaps for head and neck reconstruction

Czech version

Authors: Z. Dvořák ^1-3; R. Pink ^1,2; P. Heinz ⁴; B. Gál ^1,5; I. Stupka ¹; J. Menoušek ^1,2
Published in: Otorinolaryngol Foniatr, 74, 2025, No. 2, pp. 99-109.
Category: Review Article
doi: https://doi.org/10.48095/ccorl202599

Overview

Free flaps are now the gold standard for reconstruction of oncological defects of the head and neck. Local flaps have an irreplaceable role due to their colour and texture in the reconstruction of smaller defects, and defects of the nose, eyelids, and ears. Regional pedicled flaps are usually used in head and neck reconstruction as second choice flaps. Routinely used local flaps are V-Y advancement flap, transposition flap, rotation flap, and its form bilobed flap. Of the regional flaps, the most commonly used are the submental flap, supraclavicular flap, infrahyoid myocutaneous flap, facial artery musculomucosal flap (FAMM), pedicled pectoralis major flap, pedicled latissimus dorsi flap, trapezius myocutaneous flap, and paramedian forehead flap. Local and regional flaps should be considered as a primary method of head and neck reconstruction in patients with associated comorbidities and neck vascular depletion or they can be used in combination with free flaps or as salvage reconstruction following free flap failure. Similarly, they can be used as a salvage reconstruction due to recurrence of oncological disease. However, they still belong to the basic armentarium of the head and neck surgeon.

Keywords:

reconstructive surgery – local flap – head and neck reconstruction – regional flap

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