Background: Free tissue transfers have become a necessary means in the reconstruction of tumour defects, with many factors affecting the selection of the flap.

Objectives: In this study, the authors attempt to evaluate the functional and aesthetic outcomes on both the donor and recipient sites, and to determine the effects of technical factors including the flap thickness and vessels’ diameters measured by ultrasonography, the size of the defect and postoperative volume reduction of the flaps were measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: Patients operated for elective soft tissue reconstructive surgery Between March 2013 and March 2016 using 55 anterolateral thigh flaps (ALTF), 30 radial forearm flaps (RFF) and 18 latissimus dorsi flaps (LDF), color Doppler ultrasonography was performed to measure the thickness of the flap at the site of the perforator. All preoperative colour Doppler ultrasound examinations of the diameters of donor and recipient sites’ blood vessels were carried out.

Results: 97.1% of flaps had complete survival and 2.9% with complete failure (two ALTF and one LDF). ALTF, RFF and LDF difference percentage between MRI1 (3–6 weeks) and MRI2 (6–18 months) of flaps’ volume was 27.6%, 17.9% and 36.1% respectively.

Conclusion: Proper selection of the flap is important for the optimisation of the aesthetic and functional outcomes. Ultrasound, MRI, the surgeon's experience and defect's extension and nature play a key role in the selection of the flap.

Title

International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Publisher

Elsevier

Publisher Country

Denmark

Indexing

Scopus

Impact Factor

2.4

Publication Type

Online only

Volume

46

Year

2017

Pages

174