ABSTRACT
The head and neck region is an aesthetically demanding area to resurface because of
its high visibility. Tissue defects in this area often require distant flaps or free
flaps to achieve an aesthetically acceptable result. The use of the Supraclavicular
artery flap represents an extremely versatile and useful option for the resurfacing
of head, neck and upper torso defects. Furthermore, islanding the flap gives it a
wide arc of rotation and the color and texture match is superior to that of free flaps
harvested from distant sites. In our study, we used the flap (both unexpanded and
expanded) predominantly for resurfacing neck defects resulting from the release of
post-burn contractures. However, its applicability in other indications would also
be similar. Except one, all our flaps survived almost completely and the post-operative
morbidity was very low. We conclude that the supraclavicular artery flap not only
provides a reasonably good color and texture match but also maintains the multi-directional
activity in the neck region.
KEY WORDS
Neck defects - Island flap - Supraclavicular artery flap
