Affiliation:
1. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
Abstract
(1) Background: The radial forearm flap (RFF) has evolved as the flap of choice for intraoral mucosal reconstructions, providing thin and pliable skin with a safe blood supply. Perforator flaps such as the anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap are increasingly being discussed for the same applications. (2) Methods: Patient history, treatment details, and outcome of 12 patents with moderate to extended defects of the lip and/or nose area that were reconstructed by a folded radial forearm flap were retrospectively evaluated for oncologic and functional outcomes. (3) Results: The mean oncologic and functional follow-up were 21.1 (min. 3.8; max. 83.3) and 31.2 (min. 6; max. 96) months, respectively. All flaps survived without revision. In eight cases, major lip defects were reconstructed by an RFF; in six patients, the palmaris longus tendon was included for lip suspension. The functional results in terms of eating, drinking, and mouth opening were good in five cases, while three patients were graded as fair due to moderate drooling. In seven cases, the major parts of the nose were reconstructed with two good and five fair (nostril constriction in three cases) functional results. (4) Conclusions: The folded RFF remains a unique free flap option for complex three-dimensional lip and nose reconstructions in terms of flexibility, versatility, and robustness.
Cited by
2 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献