Through and through defects of the lower face.

This article considers the particular demands of reconstruction of this complex region of the head and neck in terms of its functional and aesthetic requirements. It presents a classification system that may assist in the selection of the appropriate reconstruction. Finally, the authors discuss some of the more common techniques and flaps that should be considered when planning microsurgical management, and they review the outcomes they have seen in terms of speech, diet tolerance, oral continence, and survival.