Complex Mandibular Reconstruction for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma—The Ongoing Challenge in Reconstruction and Rehabilitation

摘要

Cancer therapy includes a broad range of microvascular free flaps that may restore defects and improve patients’ quality of life. This is particularly important for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and composite mandibular reconstructions, containing tissues of bone, muscle, and skin, which may be problematic due to their magnitude and sensitive location. The subscapular system offers a highly valuable donor site with the most versatility and the potential for rapid rehabilitation. Interestingly, other donor sites are more commonly used internationally. Therefore, we evaluated the use of the subscapular system free flap (SFF), which is the most commonly used free flap at our department. To our knowledge, this retrospective study represents the largest number of SFF cases reported to date in the literature. Furthermore, we examined the quality of life in a subgroup of patients, combining prospective occurrences to provide insight into overall rehabilitation from the patients’ viewpoints.