A myocutaneous flap is a type of skin graft consisting of tissue taken from a patient and used on that patient's own body. The graft includes skin and muscle. The pectoralis major is the large fan-shaped muscle of the upper anterior chest wall. Pectoralis major myocutaneous flap is the most commonly used flap by head and neck surgeons due to their familiarity with the anterior chest and because the flap supplies bulk and has high success rates.

This atlas is a concise guide to the use of pectoralis major myocutaneous flap in head and neck reconstruction. Beginning with an introduction to the history of the procedure, the following sections explain its various uses, advantages, disadvantages and limitations. The anatomy of the area is explained with the help of detailed illustrations.

The following sections illustrate every step of the surgical procedure, pre- and post-operative care, and complications, through high quality clinical photographs.

Key points

• Concise guide to pectoralis major myocutaneous flap in head and neck reconstruction
• Detailed explanations on history, uses, advantages, disadvantages and limitations
• Surgical anatomy illustrated through high quality diagrams
• Clinical photographs explain every step of the procedure