Deep Plane Cervicofacial Flap for Reconstruction of Large Oncosurgical Defects of the Cutaneous Face and Neck

Objective:To evaluate the reliability of the deep plane cervicofacial flap to repair large defects of the cutaneous face and neck. Methods: Nine patients with malignant tumours were treated with extensive resection. The large defects of the cutaneous face and neck were repaired using deep plane cervicofacial flaps based on the superficial musculoaponeurotic system. The subjects were seven male and two female patients, ranging in age from 56 to 74 years (mean 68.2). The size of the defects ranged from 4 × 3 to 10 × 8 cm (mean 6.1 × 5.9 cm). Results: Apart from mild facial contour deficiency following minor flap necrosis in one patient, excellent functional and cosmetic outcomes were acheived with good skin colour and texture matching in all patients. The follow-up periods ranged from 6 to 18 months (mean 10.7) and all of the patients were still alive without recurrence. Conclusion:The deep plane cervicofacial flap is reliable with excellent vascularity. Moreover, it is easy to harvest, compatible with the principles of oncologic resection and the method of choice for repairing major defects of the cutaneous face and neck following tumour resection. Keywords: cervicofacial flap, face and neck defects, reconstruction, rotation flap, superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS)