Results
All patients were male with the average age of 60.56±11.27 years (range: 40-78 years). A total of nine patients had undergone supraclavicular artery island flaps reconstruction for head and neck defects and three of them also had pectoralis major myocutaneous flap reconstruction at the same time. Four reconstructions were performed to repair anterior neck skin defects or pharyngo-cutaneous fistulae related to primary surgery or radiation. The SCAIF was used in three patients to repair defects following hypopharyngeal resection or total laryngectomy. Two reconstructions were performed to repair defects following salvage surgery of recurrent head and neck tumor. The average flap harvest time was 31.78±4.55 mins (range: 25-40 minutes). The flap size ranged from 15-16 cm × 5-7 cm, with an average size of cm 15.22±0.63 × 5.89±0.74 cm. There was no complete flap loss during their stays in hospital. Two patients had partial necrosis of the distal portion of the flap. One patient developed pharyngo-cutaneous fistula one and a half months after surgery. Both complications were resolved with anti-infection and local wound care. The donor sites were primary closed with adjacent tissue advancement, and no skin grafting was used. Only one patient developed neck tightness sensation after surgery, which was resolved by physical rehabilitation. A widened scar was noted, but no significant donor site complications and compromised shoulder function were observed. The average length of hospital stay was 37.67±18.48 days (range: 17-78 days). Two patients previously received radiation or chemoradiation for treatment of their disease. There were no in-hospital deaths, and all patients were discharged home with good outcomes. Patient demographics are summarized in Table 1. A typical case is shown in Figure 1.