The lingual sulcus release technique for excision of tongue cancer with trismus

Abstract

Operable oral tongue cancers are managed best with surgery followed by adjuvant therapy as and when indicated. The only factor that affects the prognosis, and is under the control of a surgeon, is the tumour margin. Often in cases with trismus, which is prevalent in tobacco and areca nut users, obtaining a clear margin intraorally can be challenging. Approaches described until now to obtain clear margins in these cases have a great impact on the postoperative recovery and morbidity. In our experience, lingual sulcus release is a safe and reproducible technique for these cases. The transcervically elevated lingual sulcus provides an additional layer of safe margin for the management of squamous cell tongue carcinoma with trismus.