[Clinical application of the superior thyroid artery perforator flap for simultaneous reconstruction of post-resection defects in hypopharyngeal carcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of using the superior thyroid artery perforator flap (STAPF) for simultaneous reconstruction of defects after radical resection of hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the preoperative and postoperative clinical data of 15 male patients aged 51-80 years with hypopharyngeal carcinoma who underwent reconstruction with STAPFs in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, between October 2023 and July 2025. Results: All 15 patients successfully underwent radical tumor resection and reconstruction. According to TNM staging, 1 patient was T2N0M0, 9 were T3N0M0, 2 were T3N2bM0, 1 was T3N2cM0, 1 was T4N2cM0, and 1 was T4N3M0. Defect sizes ranged from 2.5 cm×3.0 cm to 6.0 cm×7.5 cm, and flap sizes ranged from 3.0 cm×6.5 cm to 5.0 cm×14.0 cm. The arterial supply of the flaps originated from branches of the superior thyroid artery in 14 cases and from branches of the lingual artery in 1 case. Venous drainage was composite in 12 cases and single in 3 cases. The mean hospital stay was 11.6 days, the flap survival rate was 14/15 (93.7%), and local flap necrosis occurred in 1 case. The median time to nasogastric tube removal was 30.5 days, and the median time to tracheostomy tube removal was 34 days. The mean subjective cosmetic satisfaction score at 3 months postoperatively was 4.78 on a 5-point Likert scale. The follow-up period ranged from 4 to 23 months (median 15 months). No deaths or loss to follow-up occurred; 1 patient was readmitted for a second primary tumor. Conclusion: The STAPF is a viable option for reconstruction of defects following hypopharyngeal carcinoma resection.