Patient Specific Reconstruction in Head and Neck Oncology – 25 Years’ Experience

Defects in head and neck after tumor resection often provide significant functional and cosmetic deformity. The challenge for reconstruction is not only the aesthetic result, but the functional repair. Cancer may involve composite elements and the in sano resection may lead to an extensive tissue defect.
Advances in head and neck reconstruction techniques have improved the results in function and the aesthetic outcome. Several flaps with different composition are available for specific reconstruction to achieve optimum result. Sensate free tissue transfer, dental rehabilitation and epiphyseal transfer for pediatric mandible are also now possible to achieve better function.
The specific choice of the flap according to the region of defect and ever more important, the choice that best fits patient`s condition are keypoints for proper harvesting and reconstruction strategy for head and neck cancer are based on more than two decades of experience in this field.