Free Rectus Abdominis Musculocutaneous Flap for Head and Neck Reconstruction

Abstract

Surgery in the head and neck often results in large and complex tissue defects. The free rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap has many advantages for reconstruction of these defects. A good volume of tissue can be harvested with a long and large-diameter vascular pedicle. A reliable blood supply enables thinning, shaping and molding of the flap, and it can be elevated with the patient in the supine position. The harvesting technique is easy with good visualization. The authors prefer this free flap for reconstructing relatively large defects in the head and neck, and have had experience with 55 cases, which were analyzed for results and complications.

Relationship between BMI and Postoperative Complications with Free Flap in Anterolateral Craniofacial Reconstruction

“…Rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap is preferred to reconstruct the oncologic resected defect because it has well-vascularized tissue and makes voluminous tissue transfer possible. 9 , 10 And also, rectus abdominis musculocutaneous free flap does not require intraoperative position change, which can shorten the operative time to reduce postoperative complication rate. However, it is difficult to harvest enough tissue volume from the patient’s abdomen to fill up the oncologic resected region.…”