Reconstruction of lip defects with the Karapandzic technique

ABSTRACT

To study the use and effects of Karapandzic technique of lip reconstruction by long-term assessment. Design: A descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study CMH Rawalpindi from January 1994 to January 2002. Subjects and Thirty seven consecutive patients who underwent Karapandzic technique of lip reconstructon with a minimum follow-up period of two years have been included. The variables assessed were hemorrhage, wound infection, flap necrosis, microstomia, reconstruction time, hospital stay and dynamic lip functions. Results drawn were analyzed. A total of 37 patients were included in the study. Thirteen [35%] patients were outdoor cases while 24 [65%] were in-patients. Average time of reconstruction was 40 minutes, which was done under general anesthesia in 21[57%] patients and under local anesthesia in 16 [43%] cases. Mean hospital stay of the indoor cases was 26 hours. There was no flap loss except for marginal necrosis in 04 [11%] patients. Wound infection and wound dehiscence was observed in 03 [08%] patients. Sensations were completely intact in 29 [78%] patients and aesthetically 28 [76%] patients gave normal look at the end of two years [2Y]. Twenty-seven [74%] patients had no change in speech and only one [3%] patient had unsatisfactory speech after 2 years. Varying degree of microstomia was observed in all the cases at immediate postoperative stage of one month but 35 [95%] patients showed gradual improvement with active mouth opening and stretching by prosthetic splints over 2 years. The Karapandzic technique of lip reconstruction is strongly recommended over the other techniques as it is a single stage, quick and safe procedure which gives cosmetically and functionally excellent results. Microstomia, occuring in early postoperative stage, shows gradual improvement on long-term follow-up