THE EVALUATION OF RECURRENCE IN HEAD AND NECK CANCER PATIENTS AFTER RECONSTRUCTION WITH FREE TISSUE TRANSFER: CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Reconstruction following surgical ablation of head and neck tumors is commonly performed with free tissue transfer. It has not been documented well how microsurgical reconstructions affect oncologic outcomes. The purpose of this retrospective study was to review the recurrence rates of head and neck cancers after treated with free tissue transfer. Twenty subjects were recruited from the our clinic treated during 2000 to 2009. The most common form of tumors was squamous cell carcinoma. The most common flaps used for reconstruction were: radial forearm flap (n= 9), fibular flap (n= 7). The overall recurrence rate among the subjects was 25 %(n= 5). The mean interval between the free flap reconstructions and recurrence was 20,6 +/- 13,6 months. Three subjects were lost in follow-up period. The The obtained data of tumor recurrence rates and recurrence time with this study were parallel to the recent literature. Free tissue transfer does not affect oncologic outcomes of head and neck cancer negatively and with the functional and aesthetic outcomes is reliable and efficient reconstruction option.