Free omental flap reconstruction of complicated head and neck wounds

Complicated wounds of the head and neck involve a severe deficiency of tissue in a contaminated or irradiated area that is predisposed to infection and necrosis. Reconstruction of these wound areas frequently requires multiple operations and prolonged hospitalization. We have successfully reconstructed complicated head and neck wounds in thirteen patients by means of a single-stage microvascular tissue transfer of the greater omentum with or without an attached segment of the stomach wall. There were 11 complete successes, two partial failures, and no complete failures. We describe four cases to illustrate the basic fundamentals of this reconstructive technique.