Betty.......I get all confused with the terminology regarding free flaps....but if you're talking about taking a huge chunk of flesh from the forearm, along with a vein to rebuild the tongue and floor of the mouth then I can help you.

When I first saw my forearm after surgery I nearly fainted; I had no idea they would need that MUCH skin from my forearm---I actually had a hole in my arm. They did take a graft from my leg (OUCH!) to cover the hole in my arm but still, the hole was deep. In terms of healing, I had no problem although today I do have a nasty scar and a small indentation of skin but nothing like the hole that once was there. After my arm began healing I was referred to an Occupational Therapist who had me wear this rubbery/plastic band (I don't know what it was called) and as she explained it to me, the band would help the skin raise up and become more even so that I wouldn't have a big gaping hole in my arm in the future. I was to wear this band 24/7 for at least a year, which I did. And I have to say it seemed to help. Like I said, I still have a scar but not nearly as bad as when I first saw what they had done to my poor arm. As for the graft on my leg---well, that took FOREVER to heal like Dharmacat said, and that thing hurt like the dickens too. There was nothing we could do with that graft except at first keep the gauze moist to lessen the pain. We would cut around the gauze as it graft began to heal. Today I have a square white box on my right leg which used to be a graft. It is albino white and never darkens even in the sun, but at least it is flat with the rest of my skin and it isn't a hole.

I hope this is what you are asking/talking about and I was of some help. But like I said, I get all confused when someone mentions a free flap. There are just so many different donor sites and different termology for each one too, or so it seems that way anyway. Hope your husband continues to do well. Sincerely, Donna