The Anterolateral Thigh Flap for Lower Leg & Foot Reconstruction in a Tertiary Hospital in Northern Bangladesh: Our Observation and Outcome

<i>Introduction</i>: The Anterior Lateral thigh flap (ALT) free flap can be considered one of the reconstructive tools in lower leg and foot reconstruction. It has a long and reliable pedicle, and dissection is comparatively easy, which makes it extremely suitable as a free flap. This study aimed to evaluate the versatility of the flap in covering lower leg and foot defects. <i>Methods</i>: This was a prospective observational study conducted in the Department of Plastic Surgery, Rangpur Medical College Hospital, Rangpur, Bangladesh, from January 2023 to December 2023. In our study, we included 16 patients with defects in the lower leg and foot who received an ALT-free flap as a reconstructive treatment. We analyzed the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables of our respondents. <i>Results</i>: In this study, 16 patients (12 males and 4 females) with an average of 34.25 years old were included. Among them 13 were traumatic cases, 2 electrical burn wounds, and one oncologic case. Survival rates of the free flap were 87.5% (14) with two failure cases. There were no complications at the donor site. In this study, 75% (12) cases showed excellent outcomes where there were no signs, or symptoms of venous congestion or arterial insufficiency, no infection or dehiscence, and the donor site was primarily closed with good flap adhesion. <i>Conclusion</i>: This study shows that the ALT-free flap is a versatile flap that allows it to cover the defect successfully and ALT adaptation was satisfactory in terms of varied location and size.