Microvascular reconstruction of complex craniofacial defects.

Many large vault or skull base tumours are best treated by wide surgical excision and primary reconstruction using a microvascular free tissue transfer (free flap). We report 23 patients who were reconstructed using free flaps, eight having been previously treated surgically elsewhere and seven of whom had recurrent disease after radiotherapy. There was one flap failure and a local recurrence rate of 16% (3/19). The outcome at a mean follow-up period of 29 months, was 19 patients alive and four deaths.