[Applicability of skin flaps and myocutaneous flaps for esophageal surgery]

Stomach and colon are always used to reconstruct esophagus after esophagectomy. However, alternative procedures to reconstruct or repair esophagus are required if the patients suffered from gastric or colonic diseases, underwent gastric colonic operations or had severe local esophageal stricture. More than ten kinds of skin flaps and myocutaneous flaps, which are classified into free or pedicled ones, are used to reconstruct or repair esophagus. Microvascular anastomosis is required while using free flaps. Necrosis of the free flaps is prone to developing once the vascular occlusion occurs. The pectoralis major myocutaneous and latissimus dorsi pedicled flaps have sufficient blood supplies. However, both are bulky and difficult to reconstruct a circumferential esophagus through contouring a tube. Platysma myocutaneous flaps have a large surface area and are supplied from multiple vessels. Single lateral and bilateral platysma myocutaenous flap can be applied to repair the cervical esophageal defect and circumferential cervical esophagus, respectively. The use of platysma myocutaneous to repair and reconstruct cervical esophagus is a procedure easy to perform and confer excellent outcomes. There is no development of ulcer and hair growth after long-term follow-up and resistance to radiotherapy.