ABSTRACT
Objective:To evaluate the clinical effect of free anterior lateral thigh flap (ALTF) with cutaneous nerve on repair and reconstruction after radical operation of tongue cancer.Methods:79 patients with tongue cancer who underwent radical resection in the stomatology department of Hunan Provincial People′s Hospital from October 2015 to October 2020 were selected and divided into observation group (38 cases) and control group (41 cases) according to the treatment method. The observation group was reconstructed with free ALTF with cutaneous nerve, and the control group was reconstructed with free ALTF without cutaneous nerve. The survival of the flap was observed and the function and morphology of the reconstructed tongue were evaluated.Results:All flaps survived and had good blood supply; the blood supply was good, the wounds healed in the first stage, and there were no cases of infection and arterial crisis. The appearance of the reconstructed tongue was plump and showed mild atrophy. The observation group was significantly better than the control group in terms of language clarity, masticatory efficiency, sensory excellence rate and University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire (UW-QOL) score ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The ALTF with cutaneous nerve for repair and reconstruction after radical operation of tongue cancer, can significantly improve the reconstruction of tongue sensory function and the quality of life of patients.