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.