Intraoral reconstruction with "thinned" peroneal artery perforator flaps: An alternative to classic donor areas in comorbid patients.

Abstract

Free fasciocutaneous flaps like the radial forearm free flap (RFFF) and the anterolateral thigh (ALT) are the most commonly used flaps in intraoral reconstruction. However, certain conditions preclude the use of either of these flaps. The aim of this report was to show applicability of "thinned" peroneal artery perforator (PAP) flaps in intraoral reconstruction. We report two cases of squamous cell carcinoma involving the tongue and floor of the mouth, where one patient had advanced scleroderma with tight forearm skin and the other with a history of Reynaud's disease precluding the use of RFFF. In addition, both patients were morbidly obese with thick adipose tissue in the thigh making ALT flap not a suitable option. Instead, a PAP flap was chosen. After the harvest, the subcutaneous tissue thickness was measured to be 2.2 and 1.8 cm, respectively. The thinning was performed by removing the deep fat lobules of the superficial fat layer down to a final thickness of 0.4 and 0.3 cm, respectively. A 2 × 2 cm area surrounding the perforators were kept untouched. Both patients had uneventful postoperative course with one patient having a small donor area dehiscence that healed with local wound care. The functional outcomes at 1 year were good. "Thinned" PAP flap is a unique and novel application that may be an alternative in intraoral reconstruction when primary choices are not available.