Anterolateral thigh flap pedicle for interposition artery and vein grafts in head and neck reconstruction: A case report

The selection of receiving vessels is one of the most critical steps in ensuring a successful outcome in microvascular surgery. The use of interposition grafts in microsurgery offers the surgeon valuable options when the free flaps vascular pedicles are too short to be anastomosed directly to the recipient vessels. Here, we present a case in which artery and vein grafts were used in microsurgical reconstruction of an anterior maxillary defect with an iliac free flap. As donor vessels, we used the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery and one of the two venae commitantes. The flap survived without major or minor complications. The anterolateral thigh flap pedicle allowed us to harvest safe, reliable grafts easily, with a suitable vessel length and diameter. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.