Posterolateral cervical vein as a recipient vein in reconstructive microvascular surgery of the head and neck.

Free flaps are becoming the preferred method of choice for head and neck reconstruction. However, many patients who have undergone radiotherapy and radical neck dissection or who require treatment for recurrent tumor, often present difficulty in choosing recipient vessels. The authors have noted a potential recipient vein coursing vertically along the anterior ridge of the trapezius muscle.