Radial forearm free flap in a patient with an unusual radial artery variation: a case report

Head and neck reconstruction poses unique challenges in rehabilitating surgical defects in terms of integrity, function, and form. The radial forearm free flap (RFFF) has been widely used for defect coverage, especially in the head and neck area, but its versatility allows it to be used for soft-tis...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Giulio Menichini, Sara Calabrese, Nicola Alfonsi, Marco Innocenti
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/34648838164946b58dfefcc4265895ad
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
Descripción
Sumario:Head and neck reconstruction poses unique challenges in rehabilitating surgical defects in terms of integrity, function, and form. The radial forearm free flap (RFFF) has been widely used for defect coverage, especially in the head and neck area, but its versatility allows it to be used for soft-tissue reconstruction in various parts of the body. The vascular features of the flap are quite constant and reliable. Nevertheless, abnormalities of the forearm vascular tree have been described over the decades. We report a case of intraoral reconstruction after verrucous carcinoma recurrence in a 74-year-old woman with an unusual forearm flap, which we called the median forearm free flap, based on a median branch of the radial artery that was preoperatively detected using handheld Doppler ultrasonography. The distally located skin paddle was predominantly supplied by the aberrant median vessel with its perforators. The flap was thus safely harvested with this atypical pedicle. Successful reconstruction of the intraoral defect was achieved, with an uneventful postoperative course.