Sir Harold Gilles is credited with the “Gilles concept”; he stated “the more adjacent the donor site is, the better the skin will match the recipient site.”¹

The overarching goal of all surgeons involved in reconstruction of head and neck defects is not only to reestablish the facial form and function but also to return the patient to a near pre-injury or pre-resection esthetics.

Today, the era of microvascular reconstructive surgery is well grounded in the vernacular of the reconstructive surgeon as well as the increasingly more educated and demanding public. One of the undisputed concepts in head and neck reconstruction is that whenever possible, one should strive to reconstruct the skin defects with tissues that more closely resemble the missing tissue not only in color but also in thickness and texture.

Equally important in />