Reconstruction of full-thickness cheek defects after cancer surgery.

The value of various surgical techniques used to reconstruct full-thickness cheek defects is discussed. Small defects can be repaired with the use of local cervical skin flaps with a random vascular pattern. Axial pattern temporal flap is another choice, either alone or combined with a cervical flap. Whenever local tissues are not suitable (i.e. after irradiation or neck dissection) a transfer of distant myocutaneous island flap based on a pedicle of axial muscle vessels is a valuable alternative. Split skin graft may form a good intra-oral lining of such island flap.