ABSTRACT
The authors' experience with six patients who underwent radial forearm free-flap reconstruction
following radiotherapy and total laryngectomy is presented. All patients had undergone
previous irradiation of 57.8 Gy on average as primary treatment for laryngeal cancer.
A patch graft of the radial forearm free flap was used for pharyngoesophageal wall
reconstruction in three patients, a radial forearm free flap for cervical soft tissue
in one patient, and a double-folded radial forearm free flap for simultaneous pharyngoesophageal
wall and cervical soft tissue in two patients. The free-flap transfers were successful
in all patients. There was one patient who developed a small pharyngocutaneous fistula,
which closed spontaneously. The radial forearm free flap is demonstrated to be a versatile
technique for reconstruction of a moderatesized defect in the treatment of laryngeal
cancer.
