Free flaps have been introduced in reconstructive surgery in the late 1960s. Since then, because of many improvements (better knowledge of anatomy and physiology, improved techniques of flap harvesting and inset, microsurgical techniques, progress from musculocutaneous, through fasciocutaneous to perforator fl aps, more dependable and user-friendly fl ap monitoring devices) success rates of more than 95 % are constantly being reported in the literature.
