Cervicofacial Flaps in Head and Neck Reconstruction

Manana, Wayne; Fagan, Johan

Cervicofacial Flaps in Head and Neck Reconstruction

Open Education Resource

2025-10-31

Abstract

Despite the advent of vascularised free tissue transfer flaps, cervicofacial flaps remain a ‘‘workhorse’’ for reconstruction of large cheek defects, especially in regions where economic or infrastructural facilities limit the use of free tissue transfer flaps. First described by Esser in 1918, the cervicofacial flap was subsequently described in its modern form by Juri and Juri in 1979. It is a random flap comprising skin, subcutaneous fat, superficial neck veins, and pla-tysma muscle. It includes the delicate supeficial cervical fascia just deep to skin that envelopes the platysma and muscles of facial expression and extends from the epicranium above to the axilla and upper chest below; over the face it is represented by the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS). The cervicofacial flap has a wide pedicle and can be employed to cover large anterolateral craniofacial defects. Superiorly it can reach the supraorbital margin, laterally the postauricular area, and medially up to the midline.