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Adipofascial anterolateral thigh free flap in head and neck reconstruction: a case series
Joshua M Sorrentino1, Ayham Al Afif1, William J Magner1
1Head and Neck Reconstructive Surgery Department, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Buffalo, New York, USA.
Background:
The adipofascial anterolateral thigh (AF-ALT) free flap represents a versatile technique in head and neck reconstructions, with its applications increasingly broadening. The objective was to detail the novel utilization of the AF-ALT flap in orbital and skull base reconstruction, along with salvage laryngectomy onlay in our case series.
Method:
We conducted a retrospective analysis at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, spanning from July 2019 to June 2023, focusing on patient demographics and reconstructive parameters data.
Results:
The AF-ALT flap was successfully employed in eight patients (average age 59, body mass index [BMI] 32.0) to repair various defects. Noteworthy outcomes were observed in skull base reconstructions, with no flap failures or major complications over an average 12-month follow-up. Donor sites typically healed well with minimal interventions.
Conclusion:
Our series is the first to report the AF-ALT flap's efficacy in anterior skull base and orbital reconstructions, demonstrating an additional innovation in complex head and neck surgeries.
