Combined pectoralis major and deltopectoral flap for reconstruction in head and neck cancer: Revisiting the historic flap

Abstract

Introduction Deltopectoral flap was discovered in early 90’s and used for nasal and pharyngeal reconstructions, since then its use has diminished over the years. We have tried to use this historic flap with the robust pectoralis major flap to reconstruct large head and neck defects. Though the ideal flap for such defects would be a free flap, in developing nations due to resource intense settings free flap is not always feasible. Our aim is to review combined deltopectoral and pectoralis major flap for large head and neck reconstructions. Materials and Methods A retrospective study of 30 patients was done in our institute. Patients included in the study were resectable head and neck cancers with extensive skin involvement. A combined deltopectoral and pectoralis major flap was used to reconstruct the defect. Conclusion A combined use of deltopectoral and pectoralis major flaps can be an effective alternative to free flaps in developing nations due to lack of resources and large volume of cases.