[Selected reconstructive technics in the surgery of cancers of the face]

The technique of facial reconstruction used by the plastic team at the Cancer Center of the University of Brussels are presented. Free grafts are seldom performed because they often lead to disfigurement. An appropriate evaluation of the margins of resection is obtained during the operation by multiple frozen sections, and reconstruction is achieved by local flaps when possible. It is considered that a normal appearance is of extreme importance for old patients suffering from facial cancer, and that the aim of surgery is not only complete eradication of the lesion but also careful reconstruction of the removed structures by simple and safe procedures. The selected techniques are presented for each region of the face.