Intraoral anastomosis of a prelaminated radial forearm flap in reconstruction of a large persistent cleft palate

Abstract

In this report, we present a case of a prelaminated radial forearm flap in reconstruction of a large persistent cleft palate with transoral single arterial and three venous anastomoses. A 17-years-old female patient presented a large cleft palate defect and complete dentition, dysmelia of both arms and bilateral thumb aplasia. A radial flap was prelaminated using oral mucosa 5 days prior to transplantation. Five days after flap prelamination, the facial artery and vein, submandibular vein, and a venous branch to the masseter muscle behind the buccinator muscle fibers were exposed through an intraoral incision lateral to the inferior right mucogingival junction. The radial artery, its bilateral accompanying veins, and the cephalic vein of transplanted flap were anastomosed transorally to the facial vessels, submandibular vein, and masseter branch. The vessel pedicle ran through the palatoglossal arch dorsal to the second upper molar. Good flow and flap perfusion were evinced, and further-on successful healing was achieved. The case encourages similar treatment in comparable situations avoiding facial nerve hazard and extraoral scars.