[Complex carcinological head and neck reconstruction in pediatric surgery]

Head and neck reconstruction in pediatric oncology, even if it is based on adult experience, presents important characteristics including age-related growth, the type of tumor and donor sites features. Indications of free flaps are rare but required care that should be codified, taking into account the details specific to context, and not giving place for improvisation as it is important that surgical outcomes must be as simple as possible. The objective of this article is not to present the technical details of free flaps harvesting in children because it is what is certainly the least different with adults. The aim is to share our experience of the specificities and singularities of pediatric head and neck reconstruction in order to focus attention to everything that makes this surgery demanding. We present the most common indications, the types of free flaps used for reconstruction, facial location modalities of reconstruction and the perioperative management.