Strategies for selecting recipient vessels in free flap reconstruction for head and neck defects
10.16066/j.1672-7002.2025.07.001
- VernacularTitle:游离组织瓣修复头颈部缺损术中受区血管的选择策略
- Author:
Hongbo XU
1
;
Lifeng LI
;
Xinmeng QI
;
Jing ZHOU
;
Zheng YANG
;
Qi FU
;
Guihua WANG
;
Xiaohong CHEN
;
Zhigang HUANG
Author Information
1. 首都医科大学附属北京同仁医院耳鼻咽喉头颈外科,耳鼻咽喉头颈科学教育部重点实验室(首都医科大学),北京 100730
- Keywords:
Surgical Flaps;
recipient vessel,head and neck defect;
free tissue flap;
microvessel anastomosis
- From:
Chinese Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
2025;32(7):409-412
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To investigate the selection strategy for recipient vessels in free flap reconstruction of head and neck defects.METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on 96 patients who underwent 99 free flap reconstructions for head and neck defects between January 2020 and December 2024.Recipient vessel selection,flap survival,and postoperative complications were analyzed based on defect location and flap type.RESULTS In 99 cases microvessel anastomosis,the recipient arteries were superior thyroid artery in 49 branches,facial artery in 28 branches,superficial temporal artery in 14 branches,lingual artery in 5 branches.external carotid artery in 1 branch,transverse cervical artery in 1 branch,and superior laryngeal artery in 1 branch.Venous anastomosis was performed in 104 branches,with 94 cases in 1 venous anastomosis and 5 cases in 2 venous anastomoses.The recipient veins selected were facial vein in 62 branches,external jugular vein in 21 branches,superficial temporal vein in 12 branches,retromandibular vein in 3 branches,middle thyroid vein in 2 branches,internal jugular vein in 2 branches,middle temporal vein in 1 branch,and superior thyroid vein in 1 branch.Complete flap necrosis occurred in 5 cases,and partial necrosis occurred in 4 cases.When the recipient vessels were deficient,the lingual artery was chosen in 3 cases,the facial artery in 1 case,the external jugular vein in 3 cases,the internal jugular vein with end-to-side anastomosis in 1 case,and the common facial vein with end-to-side anastomosis in 1 case.CONCLUSION In free flap reconstruction for head and neck defects,the superior thyroid artery,facial artery,and superficial temporal artery are commonly used as recipient arteries,while the facial vein,external jugular vein,and superficial temporal vein are frequently selected as recipient veins.When recipient vessels are scarce,the ipsilateral lingual artery,transverse cervical artery,and main trunk of the internal jugular vein can serve as alternative recipient vessels.
