Simplified Designing and Insetting of the Free Flap in Reconstructing Oral and/or Oropharyngeal Defect.

Abstract

Reconstructing oral and/or oropharyngeal defect after tumor ablation requires anatomic restoration of the complex structures to maximize functional outcomes. This study introduces a simple and adjustable way of designing and insetting of a free flap in such reconstruction. Patients who received free flap reconstruction of oral and/or oropharyngeal defect with 33% to 66% of the native tongue left intact after resection of the tumor were enrolled and reviewed. Flap was designed as an oval shape according to the maximum width and length of the defect, and sutured from the most posterior part. Natural imbrication of the flap formed by anterior pulling of the tongue was marked and de-epithelized to create a three-dimensional shape. A total of 30 patients met the inclusion criteria of this study and the median follow-up was 32 months. All flaps survived after 1 case of venous reanastomosis. The average hospital stay was 23.7 days. All patients were decannulated. Twenty (66.7%) patients could eat a normal or soft diet, and 19 (63.3%) patients had normal or intelligible speech. Simplified designing of the flap with adjustable tailoring allowed for easy and effective way of free flap oral and/or oropharyngeal reconstruction. De-epithelization (or trimming) of the naturally imbricated area during the procedure of insetting created a bilobed shape in effect to conform to the three-dimensional defect.