Radial Forearm Flap ­ Experience in 15 Cases of Microsurgical Face and Neck Reconstruction

Due to its fair, fine texture and hairless skin) and its thin subcutaneous tissue) the radial forearm flap has been largely utilized in face and neck reconstructions. * analized retrospectively our patients who had been submitted to face and neck reconstructions with this flap. From 1994 to 1998) we operated on fourteen patients) including eight women and six men. Their ages ranged from 13 to 63 years old. One patient was operated on 2 times) totalizing 15flaps. The facial vessels were utilized for 87% ofthe microvascular anas­ tomosis. In all ofthe cases we set on a reverse flux. The donor site was covered with a thigh split thickness skin graft. The microvascular anastomosis was successful in 93% ofthe cases. There were only two complications (13%). In one case the venous anastomosis trombosed and the flap suffired total necrosis. The area was successfully reconstructed with the contralateral flap. Another patient suffired a parcial necrosis ofthe split thickness skin graft at the donor site) which was closed by secondary intention. These results stress the choice of the radial forearm flap as one of the best in face and neck microsurgical reconstructions. The main shortcoming is the unpleasant scar in the donor site.