Submental Artery Island Perforator Flap: Technique, Pearls, and Pitfalls

The submental artery island perforator flap (SIAPF) is a reliable and versatile axial pattern fasciocutaneous pedicled flap that can be used to reconstruct a variety of defects in the head and neck. Among several advantages are excellent skin color and texture match, rapidity and ease of harvest, and limited donor site morbidity. In our head and neck surgery practice, the SIAPF is used as a workhorse in treating elderly patients with multiple co-morbidities who may not be good candidates for free tissue transfer. Despite the advantages listed above, harvesting the submental artery flap requires a thorough understanding of the anatomy surrounding the submental artery and meticulous surgical technique. The purpose of this chapter is to review pearls and pitfalls for submental artery island perforator flaps.