Revascularization of the tongue by radial forearm flow-through flap

The concept of a flow-through flap refers to a free flap in which both the proximal and distal ends of the vascular pedicle are anastomosed to provide blood flow to the distal tissues. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the use of this technique, which may be useful in selected cases of head and neck reconstruction. In certain situations, like bilateral resection of the base of the tongue involving both lingual arteries, the application of a flow-through forearm free flap can provide an anatomical and functional restoration of the defect while revascularizing the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.

Source: International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - July 31, 2020 Category: ENT & OMF Authors: J. Acero Sanz, Á. Ranz Colio, M. Picón Molina, F. Almeida Parra Tags: Technical Note Source Type: research