Reconstruction of Full-Thickness Buccal Defects With Submental Island Flap

Abstract

Our goal was to introduce the application of submental island flap in reconstructing through-and-through cheek defects. From January 2009 to January 2013, 7 patients (5 men and 2 women) with full-thickness buccal defects due to tumor resection received submental flap reconstruction at the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Zhengzhou University; surgical procedure and success rate as well as functional results were described. Distal partial necrosis occurred in 1 flap, but all flaps survived. All patients were capable of maintaining a regular oral diet, and no patients complained of an inability to eat in a public setting, microstomia, or drooling; the appearance was reported to be good or acceptable in all cases, and the mean postoperative mouth-open width was 4.2 (range, 3.7-5.0) cm. One patient had a local recurrence in the follow-up. Therefore, submental island flap is a reliable procedure for through-and-through buccal defects in selected patients.

Approach to Reconstruction of Cheek Defects

“…The submental island flap is a method to reconstruct full-thickness cheek defects. 22 Folding the flap on itself repurposes the donor skin as both the new outer cheek and the intraoral mucosa. In situations that require additional bulk and vascularity, the anterior belly of the digastric muscle can be included in the flap.…”

Natural history of untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

“…Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck is usually detected by oral ulcer, local ache, hoarseness and detrimental deglutition . Treatment of these cancers always consists of multitherapeutic methods, but it is noted that a significant proportion of patients with head and neck SCC do not receive any definite therapy.…”