Reconstruction of tongue defects following oral cancer ablation with extended supraclavicular fasciocutaneous island flap

Abstract

To assess the reliability and usefulness of the extended supraclavicular fasciocutaneous island flap (eSIF) for reconstructing soft tissue defects followinng tongue cancer ablation. Twenty-two tongue defects in 22 patients with tongue cancer were repaired with eSIF after resection of the tongue malignant tumours. The sizes of the skin paddle ranged from (4 cm × 6 cm) to (8 cm × 14 cm) (average: 5.5 cm × 8.7 cm). The eSIF survived in twenty cases, including two cases with minimal partial necrosis. The patients were follwed up for 5 - 16 months. Eighteen patients were alive with disease free, two were alive with disease and two died of a lung and liver metastasis. The eSIF is reliable for reconstructing oral defects following the ablation of advanced oral malignant tumors.