Chinese flap in head and neck surgery

Twenty patients underwent resections for head and neck cancer. The reconstructive procedure used was the free forearm flap with microsurgical technique on 22 occasions. The free forearm flap was used in its simple or composite form, with double or manifold islands, with a segment of the radius for mandible reconstruction or with two islands joined solely by the vascular pedicle, constituting what the authors call "tandem flap", with excellent results. The procedure does not replace conventional ones, but the authors believe it should be regarded as one of the choice flaps by surgeons dedicated to this special field.