Platysma myocutaneous flap including the external jugular vein with special reference to neck dissection

Although platysma myocutaneous flap (PTMCF) is suitable for a small intraoral defect, combination with neck dissection (ND) decreases the viability. Therefore, a version of PTMCF was devised to increase the viability. This version consists of three points: preservation of the external jugular vein (EJV), preservation of the facial artery after skeletonization from the submandibular gland, and a new incision around the flap. This procedure was applied to 21 patients with intraoral cancer. All 21 patients underwent some kind of ND. The average viable area of transferred skin was 80%. This rate was significantly better than that for 46 previous cases using Farr's modification with ND, in which the facial artery was divided. Viability of the flaps was analyzed by the vessels preserved, especially by EJV. ND is not a contraindication with this version.