Oversized Design of the Anterolateral Thigh Flap for Head and Neck Reconstruction

Most surgical protocols for head and neck cancer extirpation require concurrent neck lymph node dissection. Hence, the defect involves not only the cancerous anatomical structures but also the neck. The tissue deficiency in the latter region imposes potential problems such as carotid and jugular vein exposure risking blowout, infections and orocutaneous fistulae in the neck, and a cosmetically untoward sunken appearance. The free anterolateral thigh flap (ALT) provides abundant tissue and is often the flap of choice in head and neck reconstruction. To replace the proper amount of postoperative soft tissue deficit in the neck area, we use an oversized ALT flap design. This allows reconstruction of the specific anatomical defects, protection of the important neck structures, and prevention of a sunken appearance. An oversized flap may also provide additional coverage for fixation hardware to prevent its exposure, especially after radiotherapy. In the event of partial flap loss, some viable parts of the oversized flap may be possible to advance or rotate to replace the nonviable part to avoid a repeated free flap procedure or other more complicated reconstructive procedures.