The use of the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap in the reconstruction of complex head and neck defects.

Patients and Methods: In this study, 20 cases (17 males, 3 females; mean age 58.5 years; range 48 to 72 years) of major head and neck operations reconstructed with a latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap in Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic between October 2004 and November 2006 were retrospectively examined. The latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap was prefered as a primary reconstructive modality in eight of the cases and a secondary reconstructive modality in the remaining 12 cases. The reasons for choosing the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap as the reconstructive modality were examined in this study and compared with other reconstruction techniques.