Deltopectoral Fasciocutaneous Flap for Anterior Neck Reconstruction

The deltopectoral flap (DPF) was first described in 1917 by Aymard but truly gained popularity as the workhorse for head and neck, particularly in pharyngoesophageal reconstruction, by Bakamjian in 1965. This popularity diminished in the late 1970s with the advent of the pectoralis major myocutaneous flap (PMMF), and further so with the subsequent development of vascularized free tissue transfer in the 1980s. However, due to the complex nature of head and neck reconstruction, as well as the morbidity encountered within these patients, the DPF maintains a role within this realm and should be within the armamentarium of every head and neck surgeon.