TY - JOUR
T1 - Comprehensive Review of the Submental Flap in Head and Neck and Facial Reconstruction
T2 - What Plastic Surgeons Need to Know
AU - Hamidian Jahromi, Alireza
AU - McClure, Logan J.
AU - Horen, Sydney R.
AU - Konofaos, Petros
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/10/1
Y1 - 2021/10/1
N2 - Since its first introduction by Martin and colleagues (1993) and with further revisions by Sterne et al (1996), the submental artery flap (SMAF) has proven to be an effective, reliable, safe, and valuable option in head, neck, and facial reconstructive surgeries. The SMAF utilizes a long pedicle based on the submental artery, a branch of the facial artery, which provides good reach to the lower two-thirds of the face with excellent cosmetic outcomes. It also maintains a good skin color match for facial and cervical defects with a mostly hidden donor site scar (in the majority of cases the donor site can be primarily closed after raising the flap). Although the use of the SMAF is associated with high patient and surgeon satisfaction along with low rates of complications, disadvantages including flap thickness and the hair-bearing nature of the submental skin, which may be problematic for coverage of orofacial defects, especially in male patients. Although it has been almost 30 years since its introduction, and the SMAF has been successfully used in over 500 reported cases of pediatric and adult patients, a comprehensive review of the different aspects of the SMAF is lacking in the medical literature.
AB - Since its first introduction by Martin and colleagues (1993) and with further revisions by Sterne et al (1996), the submental artery flap (SMAF) has proven to be an effective, reliable, safe, and valuable option in head, neck, and facial reconstructive surgeries. The SMAF utilizes a long pedicle based on the submental artery, a branch of the facial artery, which provides good reach to the lower two-thirds of the face with excellent cosmetic outcomes. It also maintains a good skin color match for facial and cervical defects with a mostly hidden donor site scar (in the majority of cases the donor site can be primarily closed after raising the flap). Although the use of the SMAF is associated with high patient and surgeon satisfaction along with low rates of complications, disadvantages including flap thickness and the hair-bearing nature of the submental skin, which may be problematic for coverage of orofacial defects, especially in male patients. Although it has been almost 30 years since its introduction, and the SMAF has been successfully used in over 500 reported cases of pediatric and adult patients, a comprehensive review of the different aspects of the SMAF is lacking in the medical literature.
KW - Facial reconstruction
KW - head and neck reconstruction
KW - implications
KW - pedicle flap
KW - reconstruction
KW - review
KW - submental flap
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85121061564&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85121061564&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/SCS.0000000000007930
DO - 10.1097/SCS.0000000000007930
M3 - Review article
C2 - 34510058
AN - SCOPUS:85121061564
SN - 1049-2275
VL - 32
SP - 2406
EP - 2410
JO - Journal of Craniofacial Surgery
JF - Journal of Craniofacial Surgery
IS - 7
ER -