The External Jugular Vein Used as Recipient Vessel in Head and Neck Free Flap Reconstruction: Outcomes Compared to the Internal Jugular Vein.

Background: Contradictory data exists on the success rates of employing the external jugular (EJ) vein as a recipient vessel for venous outflow in free flap head and neck reconstruction compared with the internal jugular (IJ) vein. The authors hereby present a retrospective study of prospectively collected data over a 14-year period.

Methods: Five hundred seventy-eight patients underwent 639 free flap head and neck over 14 years.