Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026
Surgical Approach to Full Soft Tissue Face Allograft Procurement for Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation
Published on: December 30, 2025
Use of free tissue transfers in head and neck reconstruction
Eugene K Kim1, Maristella Evangelista, Gregory R D Evans
1Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery Institute, University of California Irvine Medical Center, Orange, California, USA. eugenekk@uci.edu
Abstract:
More than 20 different free flaps have been described for head and neck reconstruction including fibula, iliac crest, scapula, radial forearm, rectus abdominis, anterolateral thigh, latissimus dorsi, and jejunum (Head Neck. 2004;26:930). The high success rate and improved functional outcomes seen with free-tissue transfers have made them the workhorse for oromandibular defects (Plast Reconstr Surg. 2002;110:438; Microsurgery. 2004;24:374). In this article, we outline a few of the commonly used free flaps in head and neck reconstruction.
