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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Surgical Approach to Full Soft Tissue Face Allograft Procurement for Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation
Published on: December 30, 2025
Current concepts in cheek reconstruction
Steven D Pletcher1, David W Kim
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California-San Francisco, 2330 Post Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA.
Abstract:
For cutaneous cheek defects, the reconstructive surgeon should strive to optimize tissue match and scar camouflage while minimizing the distortion to neighboring facial landmarks. The surgeon must have an intimate understanding of the local anatomy and must be able to use the appropriate flap for the given characteristics of each defect and patient. Knowledge of several types of flaps and versatility in modifying these flaps from their "textbook" geometry are required. This article highlights an approach to local flap reconstruction with a review of flap modification for particular situations.
