Effectiveness of bipaddled anterolateral thigh perforator flap in repair of through-and-through maxillofacial defect after oral cancer ablation / 中国修复重建外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of bipaddled anterolateral thigh perforator flap in repair of through-and-through maxillofacial defect following oral cancer ablation. Methods: Between January 2008 and December 2016，42 patients with oral cancer were treated. There were 31 males and 11 females with an average age of 44.5 years (range, 31-68 years). There were 28 cases of buccal mucosa carcinoma, 10 cases of basal cell carcinoma of buccal skin, 3 cases of gingiva carcinoma, and 1 case of recurrent parotidduct carcinoma. The disease duration ranged from 1 to 24 months (mean, 13.5 months). The size of through-and-through maxillofacial defect ranged from 6.0 cm×4.5 cm to 9.0 cm×7.0 cm. All defects were repaired with the bipaddled anterolateral thigh perforator flap. The paddles were adjusted to repair the buccal area. And the size of flap ranged from 7 cm×5 cm to 10 cm×8 cm. The donor sites were closed directly. Results: The operation time was 4.5-7.5 hours (mean, 5.5 hours). All flaps healed and the wounds of recipient and donor sites healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 9-60 months (mean, 22 months). All patients were satisfied with their facial appearance and the speech function. The range of mouth opening was 3-5 cm. Three patients died of recurrence during the follow-up period and the other patients were alive. Conclusion: The bipaddled anterolateral thigh perforator flap is flexible and reliable for the through-and-through maxillofacial defect reconstruction following oral cancer ablation.