A composite tissue allotransplantation of the total face along with the scalp and the auricles is technically feasible. The authors' flap provided reliable vascularization and was obtained in a standardized fashion in less than 11 hours. The graft contained all of the perioral muscles, branches of the facial nerve, eyelid structures, and major salivary glands.

More variations were present in our description than in others. The situation of the rvm alone or associated with other anatomical elements is not a reliable landmark of the situation of a tumour either in the superficial part or in the deep part of the parotid gland in relation to the facial nerve. Some authors considered that the predictive value of these anatomical landmarks was near 65%.