Multipaddled anterolateral thigh chimeric flap for reconstruction of complex defects in head and neck.

[oral submucous fibrosis]

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 .