Trends in head and neck microvascular reconstructive surgery in Liverpool (1992-2001)

Microvascular reconstructive techniques in head and neck surgery are well established, but we are now entering an era of modification exemplified by perforator and free style free flaps. We present a review of the database introduced into the unit in 1992 over a 10-year period, during which time 977 patients with malignant disease were operated on and 620 defects were reconstructed with free flaps. There were 358 radial forearm flaps, 78 composite radial forearm flaps, 84 iliac crest flaps, 43 fibular flaps, 24 from the scapula, 26 from the latissimus dorsi, 4 from the rectus abdominis, and 3 from the lateral arm. The main changes over this time have been the use of more bulky flaps for larger resections of the tongue and the preference for iliac crest flaps over those from the fibula and forearm for composite reconstructions. Improving reliability of tissue transfer remains an important aim, and further development of reliable objective methods of monitoring of flaps is required.